15:1 Every seven years thou shalt make a
release.
15:2 And this [is] the ordinance of the release: thou shalt remit every
private debt which thy neighbour owes thee, and thou shalt not ask payment
of it from thy brother; for it has been called a release to Yehovah thy
Elohim.
15:3 Of a stranger thou shalt ask again whatsoever he has of thine, but to
thy brother thou shalt remit his debt to thee.
15:4 For [thus] there shall not be a poor person in the midst of thee, for
Yehovah thy Elohim will surely bless thee in the land which Yehovah thy Elohim
gives thee by inheritance, that thou shouldest inherit it.
15:5 And if ye shall indeed hearken to the voice of Yehovah your Elohim, to
keep and do all these commandments, as many as I charge thee this day,
15:6 (for Yehovah thy Elohim has blessed thee in the way of which he spoke to
thee,) then thou shalt lend to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and
thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee.
15:7 And if there shall be in the midst of thee a poor [man] of thy brethren
in one of thy cities in the land, which Yehovah thy Elohim gives thee, thou
shalt not harden thine heart, neither shalt thou by any means close up thine
hand from thy brother who is in want.
15:8 Thou shalt surely open thine hands to him, and shalt lend to him as
much as he wants according to his need.
15:9 Take heed to thyself that there be not a secret thing in thine heart,
an iniquity, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, draws nigh; and
thine eye shall be evil to thy brother that is in want, and thou shalt not
give to him, and he shall cry against thee to Yehovah, and there shall be
great sin in thee.
15:10 Thou shalt surely give to him, and thou shalt lend him as much as he
wants, according as he is in need; and thou shalt not grudge in thine heart
as thou givest to him, because on this account Yehovah thy Elohim will bless
thee in all thy works, and in all things on which thou shalt lay thine hand.
15:11 For the poor shall not fail off thy land, therefore I charge thee to
do this thing, saying, Thou shalt surely open thine hands to thy poor
brother, and to him that is distressed upon thy land.
15:12 And if thy brother [or sister], a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, be
sold to thee, he shall serve thee six years, and in the seventh year thou
shalt send him out free from thee.
15:13 And when thou shalt send him out free from thee, thou shalt not send
him out empty.
15:14 Thou shalt give him provision for the way from thy flock, and from thy
corn, and from thy wine; as Yehovah thy Elohim has blessed thee, thou shalt
give to him.
15:15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt,
and Yehovah thy Elohim redeemed thee from thence; therefore I charge thee to
do this thing.
15:16 And if he should say to thee, I will not go out from thee, because he
continues to love thee and thy house, because he is well with thee;
15:17 then thou shalt take an awl, and bore his ear through to the door, and
he shall be thy servant for ever; and in like manner shalt thou do to thy
maid-servant.
15:18 It shall not seem hard to thee when they are sent out free from thee,
because [thy servant] has served thee six years according to the annual hire
of a hireling; so Yehovah thy Elohim shall bless thee in all things whatsoever
thou mayest do.
15:19 Every first-born that shall be born among thy kine and thy sheep, thou
shalt sanctify the males to Yehovah thy Elohim; thou shalt not work with thy
first-born calf, and thou shalt not shear the first-born of thy sheep.
15:20 Thou shalt eat it before Yehovah year by year in the place which the
Lord thy Elohim shall choose, thou and thy house.
15:21 And if there be in it a blemish, if it belame or blind, an evil
blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it to Yehovah thy Elohim.
15:22 Thou shalt eat it in thy cities; the unclean in thee and the clean
shall eat it in like manner, as the doe or the stag.
15:23 Only ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out on the earth
as water. |
15:1 At the end of every seven years thou
shalt make a release.
15:2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth
ought unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his
neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called Yehovah's release.
15:3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with
thy brother thine hand shall release;
15:4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for Yehovah shall greatly
bless thee in the land which Yehovah thy Elohim giveth thee for an inheritance
to possess it:
15:5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of Yehovah thy Elohim, to
observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
15:6 For Yehovah thy Elohim 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.
15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of
thy gates in thy land which Yehovah thy Elohim giveth thee, thou shalt not
harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him
sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
15:9 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 Yehovah
against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
15:10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when
thou givest unto him: because that for this thing Yehovah thy Elohim shall
bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
15:11 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.
15:12 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.
15:13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him
go away empty:
15:14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy
floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith Yehovah thy Elohim hath
blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
15:15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt,
and Yehovah thy Elohim redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to
day.
15:16 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;
15:17 Then thou shalt take an awl, 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.
15:18 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 Yehovah thy Elohim shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
15:19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou
shalt sanctify unto Yehovah thy Elohim: thou shalt do no work with the
firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.
15:20 Thou shalt eat it before Yehovah thy Elohim year by year in the place
which Yehovah shall choose, thou and thy household.
15:21 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 Yehovah thy Elohim.
15:22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person
shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
15:23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the
ground as water.
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