Open English Translation DEU Chapter 15

15 At the end of every seven years, you must cancel all debts. 2 Handle it like this: Everyone who’s loaned money to their Israeli neighbour must cancel that debt, i.e., they must not insist that it’s paid back, because Yahweh has announced a cancellation. 3 You can pressure a foreigner to repay, but you must cancel any debt from a fellow Israeli.

4 However, there shouldn’t be any poor among you, because your god Yahweh will bless you in the land that he’s giving you to own as an inheritance, 5 as long as you listen to what he says and keep following these instructions that I’m telling you today. 6 Because your god Yahweh will bless you (like he promised he would), you’ll lend to many nations rather than borrowing from them, and you’ll rule over many nations rather than them ruling you.

7 In the towns that your god Yahweh is giving you, if it so happens that any of your fellow Israelis are poor, then don’t just ignore them and refuse to help them,[ref] 8 but instead, open your wallet and lend them however much they need. 9 Be careful not to quietly think to yourself that the seventh-year reset is close so they won’t have to pay it back. It would be wrong not to help a fellow Israeli, and if you did and he called out to Yahweh for help, then it would be counted against you as disobedience. 10 Give generously to the poor without getting resentful inside, because then your god Yahweh can bless you in all your work and all your investments. 11 There’ll always be poor people in your country, so I command you to give generously to the poor and needy and your fellow Israelis.[ref]

12 If a fellow Israeli is sold to you[fn] and serves you for six years, then you must free them in the seventh year.[ref] 13 But when you free them, don’t send them off empty-handed 14 but instead, give to them generously from your flock and from your barn and from your wine. In whatever ways your god Yahweh has blessed you, you should give to them. 15 Always remember that you were a slave in Egypt and your god Yahweh redeemed you out of there, so that’s why I’m commanding you to do that.

16 However, if any slave says that they don’t want to leave you, because they appreciate you and your household, and so they’re better off to stay with you, 17 then get an awl and stand them against the doorpost and pierce one of their earlobes with the awl, then that person (male or female) will be your slave forever. 18 Don’t complain when you have to release your slaves, because they’ve served you up to six years and been double the value of a regular hired worker, plus your god Yahweh will bless you in whatever you do.

19 You must set apart for your god Yahweh, all the firstborn male animals from your herds and your flocks. You mustn’t use the cattle for working, and mustn’t shear the sheep or goats.[ref] 20 Each year, you and your household must take them to the place that Yahweh will choose, and eat them there in front of him. 21 However, any animals that have defects (e.g., lame or blind, or with a severe blemish) mustn’t be sacrificed to your god Yahweh. 22 Instead, you can eat those at home whether or not you’re ceremonially ‘clean’, just like you’d eat a wild gazelle or deer. 23 However, don’t eat the blood—it must be poured out on the ground like water.[ref]