“1 At the end of [every] seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And
this [is] the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth [ought]
unto his neighbour shall release [it]; he shall not exact [it] of his
neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. 3
Of a foreigner thou mayest exact [it again]: but [that] which is thine
with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no
poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which
the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it: 5 Only
if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe
to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. 6 For the
LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend
unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over
many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. 7 If there be among
you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine
heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open
thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his
need, [in that] which he wanteth. 9 Beware that there be not a thought
in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is
at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest
him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto
thee. 10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be
grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD
thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest
thine hand unto. 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land:
therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto
thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.”
“12 [And] if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold
unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt
let him go free from thee. 13 And when thou sendest him out free from
thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 14 Thou shalt furnish him
liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy
winepress: [of that] wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou
shalt give unto him. 15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman
in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I
command thee this thing to day. 16 And it shall be, if he say unto thee,
I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house,
because he is well with thee; 17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust
[it] through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for
ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. 18 It shall
not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for
he hath been worth a double hired servant [to thee], in serving thee six
years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.”
“19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock
thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with
the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. 20
Thou shalt eat [it] before the LORD thy God year by year in the place
which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household. 21 And if there be
[any] blemish therein, [as if it be] lame, or blind, [or have] any ill
blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God. 22 Thou
shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean [person shall
eat it] alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. 23 Only thou shalt not
eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.”
(Deuteronomy 15:1-23 AV)
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