The seventh year a year of release for the poor.

1 ¶ At the endº² of [every] sevenº yearsº thou shalt makeºª a release.º 2 And this² [is] the mannerº of the release:º Every² creditorººº that² lendethºª [ought] unto his neighbourº shall releaseºª [it]; he shall not² exactºª² [it] of his neighbour,º or of his brother;º because² it is calledºª the LORD'Sº release.º 3 Of² a foreignerº thou mayest exactºª [it again]: but [that] which² is² thine with² thy brotherº thine handº shall release;ºª 4 Saveº when² there shall be² no² poorº among you; for² the LORDº shall greatly¹ª blessºª thee in the landº which² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee [for] an inheritanceº to possessºª it: 5 Only² if² thou carefully¹ª hearkenºª unto the voiceº of the LORDº thy God,º to observeºª to doºª² all² these² commandmentsº which² I² commandºª thee this day.º 6 For² the LORDº thy Godº blessethºª thee, as² he promisedºª thee: and thou shalt lendºª unto manyº nations,º but thou² shalt not² borrow;ºª and thou shalt reignºª over manyº nations,º but they shall not² reignºª over thee.

It must be no let of lending or giving.

7 ¶ If² there be² among you a poor manº of oneº² of thy brethrenº within anyº of thy gatesº in thy landº which² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee, thou shalt not² hardenºª² thine heart,º nor² shutºª² thine handº from thy poorº brother:º² 8 But² thou shalt openºª² thine handº wideºª unto him, and shalt surely¹ª lendºª him sufficientº for his need,º [in that] which² he wanteth.ºª 9 Bewareºª that² there be² not a thoughtº in² thy wickedº heart,º saying,ºª The seventhº year,º the yearº of release,º is at hand;ºª and thine eyeº be evilºª against thy poorº brother,º and thou givestºª him nought;² and he cryºª unto² the LORDº against² thee, and it be² sinº unto thee. 10 Thou shalt surely¹ª giveºª him, and thine heartº shall not² be grieved¹ª² when thou givestºª unto him: because¹ that² for² this² thingº the LORDº thy Godº shall blessºª thee in all² thy works,º and in all² that thou puttestº thine handº unto. 11 For² the poorº shall never² ceaseºª out ofº² the land:º therefore²² I² commandºª thee, saying,ºª Thou shalt openºª² thine handº wideºª unto thy brother,º to thy poor,º and to thy needy,º in thy land.º

An Hebrew servant,

12 ¶ [And] if² thy brother,º an Hebrew man,º or² an Hebrew woman,º be soldºª unto thee, and serveºª thee sixº years;º then in the seventhº yearº thou shalt let him goºª freeº from²² thee. 13 And when² thou sendest¹ª him out² freeº from²² thee, thou shalt not² let him go awayºª empty:º 14 Thou shalt furnish¹ª him liberallyºª out of thy flock,º² and out of thy floor,º² and out of thy winepress:º² [of that] wherewith² the LORDº thy Godº hath blessedºª thee thou shalt giveºª unto him. 15 And thou shalt rememberºª that² thou wast² a bondmanº in the landº of Egypt,º and the LORDº thy Godº redeemedºª thee: therefore²² I² commandºª thee² this² thingº to day.º

except he will not depart, must in the seventh year go forth free and well furnished.

16 And it shall be,² if² he sayºª unto² thee, I will not² go awayºª from²² thee; because² he lovethºª thee and thine house,º because² he is well¹ª² with² thee; 17 Then thou shalt takeºª² an aul,º and thrustºª [it] through his earº unto the door,º and he shall be² thy servantº for ever.º And also² unto thy maidservantº thou shalt doºª likewise.² 18 It shall not² seem hard¹ª unto thee,º² when thou sendest him awayºª² freeº from²² thee; for² he hath been worthº a doubleº hired servantº [to thee], in servingºª thee sixº years:º and the LORDº thy Godº shall blessºª thee in all² that² thou doest.ºª

All firstling males of the cattle are to be sanctified unto the LORD.

19 ¶ All² the firstlingº malesº that² comeºª of thy herdº and of thy flockº thou shalt sanctifyºª unto the LORDº thy God:º thou shalt do no² workºª with the firstlingº of thy bullock,º nor² shearºª the firstlingº of thy sheep.º 20 Thou shalt eatºª [it] beforeº the LORDº thy Godº yearº by yearº in the placeº which² the LORDº shall choose,ºª thou² and thy household.º 21 And if² there be² [any] blemishº therein, [as if it be] lame,º or² blind,º [or have] any² illº blemish,º thou shalt not² sacrificeºª it unto the LORDº thy God.º 22 Thou shalt eatºª it within thy gates:º the uncleanº and the cleanº [person shall eat it] alike,º as the roebuck,º and as the hart.º 23 Only² thou shalt not² eatºª² the bloodº thereof; thou shalt pourºª it upon² the groundº as water.º