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Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 15

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1At the end of seven years thou shalt make the Release, 2and this is the sentence (word) of the Release: That every man who is a creditor shall give release to him who oweth to his neighbour; he shall not exact it from his neighbour or his brother, because the release is proclaimed before the Lord. 3From a son of the Gentiles thou mayest demand; but that which is with thy brother, thou shalt release by thy hand. 4Save when there shall not be the poor among thee, for the Lord in blessing will bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God will give thee for a possession to inherit. 5Only if thou wilt indeed be obedient to the Word of the Lord thy God, and observe to do all these precepts which I command thee this day; 6For the Lord thy God doth bless thee, as He hath said to thee: and thou shalt lend to many peoples, but thou shalt not take a loan; and thou shalt have rule over many peoples, but they shall not have rule over thee.

7If there be with thee a poor man of thy brethren, in one of the cities in the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut up thy hand from thy poor brother; 8But thou shalt open thy hand to him, and lend, according to the measure of his want, of that which he may need. 9Beware, lest there be a word with thy wicked heart, saying, The year of release draweth near, and thine eye be evil toward thy poor brother, and thou give not to him, and he cry against thee before the Lord, and there be guiltiness in thee. 10Giving thou shalt give to him, and thy heart shall not be evil when thou givest to him: because for this thing the Lord thy God will bless thee in all thy works, and in all thou put test thy hand unto. 11For the poor will not cease (to be) in the midst of thy land; therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt verily open thy hand to thy brother, to thy afflicted, and to thy poor in thy land.

12If thy brother, a son of Israel, or a daughter of Israel, be sold to thee, and shall have served thee six years, in the seventh year let him go, a son of liberty, from thee. 13And when thou let test him go free from thee, thou shalt not send him away empty. 14But thou shalt separate to him from thy flock, and thy floor, and thy wine-press, and give to him of that which the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. 15And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Mizraim, and the Lord thy God set thee free: therefore I command thee this thing today. 16But if he say to thee, I will not go out from being with thee, because he loveth thee, and the men of thy house, (and) because it is good for me to be with thee, 17then thou shalt take an awl, put it through his ear, and into the door, and he shall be a ministering servant to thee evermore. And also likewise shalt thou do to thy handmaid. 18It shall not be a hardship in thy eyes when thou dost send him from thee to be a son of freedom, for he hath been doubly worth a hireling, serving thee six years; and the Lord thy God will bless thee in all that thou shalt do.

19Every firstling male which cometh of thy cattle or thy sheep, thou shalt consecrate before the Lord thy God: thou shalt not work with the firstling of thy herd, nor shear the firstling of thy flock. 20Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God from year to year in the place which the Lord will choose, thou and the men of thy house. 21And if there be any blemish (spot) in it, (if it be) lame, or blind, or have any evil spot, thou shalt not sacrifice it before the Lord thy God: 22Thou mayest eat it in thy cities, unclean (persons) and clean alike (may eat it), as the antelope and the hart. 23Only thou shalt not eat the blood, but pour it out upon the ground like water.