The year for canceling debts

15 “At the end of every seven years, you must ◄cancel all debts/tell people who owe you money that they do not need to pay it back►. 2 Do it like this: Each of you who has lent money to a fellow Israeli must cancel that debt. You must not insist that he pay it back. You must do that because Yahweh has declared that the debts must be canceled every seven years. 3 During that year you may require foreigners who live among you to pay what they owe you, but you must not try to require that any fellow Israeli pay you what he owes you. 4-5 4-5Yahweh our God will bless you in the land that he is giving to you. If you obey Yahweh our God and obey all the commandments that I am giving to you today, there will not be any poor people among you. 6 Yahweh our God will bless you like he has promised to do, and you will be able to lend money to people of other people-groups, but you will not need to borrow from any of them. You will control the finances of many people-groups, but they will not control your finances.

7 “In the towns that Yahweh our God is giving to you, if there are any Israelis who are poor, do not be selfish [IDM] and refuse [IDM] to help them. 8 Instead, be generous [IDM] and lend to them the money that they need. 9 Be sure that you do not say to yourself, ‘The year when debts will be canceled is near, so I do not want to lend anyone any money now, because he will not need to pay it back when that year comes.’ It would be evil to even think that. If you act in an unfriendly way toward a needy fellow Israeli, and give him nothing, he will cry out to Yahweh about you, and Yahweh will say that you have sinned by not helping that person. 10 Give freely to poor people and give generously [IDM]. 11 If you do that, Yahweh will bless you in everything that you do. There will always be some poor people in your land, so I command you to give generously to poor [DOU] people.”