15 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.