Deuteronomy - The Old Testament

¹ 'At the end of every seven years, you must grant remission.

² The nature of the remission is as follows: any creditor holding a personal pledge obtained from his fellow must release him from it; he must not exploit his fellow or his brother once the latter has appealed to Yahweh for remission.

³ A foreigner you may exploit, but you must remit whatever claim you have on your brother.

⁴ There must, then, be no poor among you. For Yahweh will grant you his blessing in the country which Yahweh your God is giving you to possess as your heritage,

⁵ only if you pay careful attention to the voice of Yahweh your God, by keeping and practising all these commandments which I am enjoining on you today.

⁶ If Yahweh your God blesses you as he has promised, you will be creditors to many nations but debtors to none; you will rule over many nations, and be ruled by none.

⁷ 'Is there anyone poor among you, one of your brothers, in any town of yours in the country which Yahweh your God is giving you? Do not harden your heart or close your hand against that poor brother of yours,

⁸ but be open handed with him and lend him enough for his needs.

⁹ Do not allow this mean thought in your heart, "The seventh year, the year of remission, is near," and scowl at your poor brother and give him nothing; he could appeal against you to Yahweh, and you would incur guilt!

¹⁰ When you give to him, you must give with an open heart; for this, Yahweh your God will bless you in all your actions and in all your undertakings.

¹¹ Of course, there will never cease to be poor people in the country, and that is why I am giving you this command: Always be open handed with your brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need and poor.

¹² 'If your fellow Hebrew, man or woman, sells himself to you, he can serve you for six years. In the seventh year you must set him free,

¹³ and in setting him free you must not let him go empty handed.

¹⁴ By way of present, you will load his shoulders with things from your flock, from your threshing-floor and from your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, so you must give to him.

¹⁵ Remember that you were once a slave in Egypt and that Yahweh your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this order today.

¹⁶ 'But if he says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your household and is happy with you,

¹⁷ you must take an awl and drive it through his ear into the door and he will be your servant for ever. You must do the same to a female slave.

¹⁸ 'Do not think it hard on you to have to give him his freedom; he is worth twice what a paid servant would cost you, and has served you for six years. And Yahweh your God will bless you in everything you do.

¹⁹ 'You must consecrate every first-born male from your herd and flock to Yahweh your God. You must not put the first-born of your herd to work, or shear the first-born of your flock.

²⁰ You must eat it, you and your household, each year, in the presence of Yahweh your God, in the place which Yahweh chooses.

²¹ If it has any defect, if it is lame or blind -- any serious defect -- you must not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.

²² You will eat it at home, unclean and clean together, as you would gazelle or deer;

²³ only, you will not eat its blood, but pour that like water on the ground.'