Deuteronomy Chapter 15

Deuteronomy Chapter 15
1 At the term of seven years thou shalt
make a freedom.
2 And this is the manner of the freedom:
every creditor shall quit the loan of his
hand which he hath lent to his neighbor:
he shall not ask it again of his neighbor,
nor of his brother: for the year of the
Lord’s freedom is proclaimed. 3 Of a
stranger thou mayest require it: but that
which thou hast with thy brother, thine
hand shall remit:
4 Save when there shall be no poor with
thee: for the Lord shall bless thee in the
land, which the Lord thy God giveth
thee, for an inheritance to possess it: 5
So that thou hearken unto the voice of the
Lord thy God to observe and do all these
commandments, which I command thee
this day.
6 For the Lord thy God hath blessed
thee, as he hath promised thee: and thou
shalt lend unto many nations, but thou
thyself shalt not borrow, and thou shalt
reign over many nations, and they shall
not reign over thee.
7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poor
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 unto
him, and shalt lend him sufficient for his
need which he hath.
9 Beware that there be not a wicked
thought in thine heart, to say, The seventh
year, the year of freedom is at hand:
therefore it grieveth thee to look on thy
poor brother, and thou givest him naught,
and he cry unto the Lord against thee, so
that sin be in thee:
10 Thou shalt give him, and let it not
grieve thine heart to give unto him: for
because of this the Lord thy God shall
bless thee in all thy works, and in all that
thou puttest thine hand to.
11 Because there shall be ever some
poor in the land, therefore I command
thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand
unto thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy
poor in thy land.
12 If thy brother an Hebrew sell himself
to thee, or an Hebrewess, and serve thee
six years, even 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 But shalt give him a liberal reward of
thy sheep, and of thy corn, and of thy
wine: thou shalt give him of that
wherewith the Lord thy God hath
blessed thee.
15 And remember that thou wast a
servant in the land of Egypt, and the
Lord thy God delivered thee: therefore I
command thee this thing today. 16 And if
he say unto thee, I will not go away from
thee, because he loveth thee and thine
house, and because he is well with thee,
17 Then shalt thou take an awl, and
pierce his ear through against the door,
and he shall be thy servant forever: and
unto thy maidservant thou shall do
likewise.
18 Let it not grieve thee, when thou
lettest him go out free from thee: for he
hath served thee six years, which is the
double worth of an hired servant: and
the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all
that thou doest.
19 All the firstborn males that come of
thy cattle, and of thy sheep, thou shalt
sanctify unto the Lord thy God. Thou
shalt do no work with thy firstborn
bullock, nor shear thy firstborn sheep.
20 Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy
God year by year, in the place which the
Lord shall choose, both thou, and thine
household. 21 But if there be any
blemish therein, as if it be lame, or
blind, or have any evil fault, thou shalt
not offer it unto the Lord thy God,
22 But shalt eat it within thy gates: the
unclean, and the clean shall eat it alike,
as the roebuck, and as the hart.
23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood
thereof, but pour it upon the ground as
water.