1At the end of seven years you shall make a release.
2And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not press his neighbor or his brother for it, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.
3From the foreigner you may press for it, but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.
4Only there shall be no needy one among you, for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess it,
5if only you carefully listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep and to do all this commandment that I am commanding you today.
6For Yahweh your God will bless you as he has spoken to you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
7If there is among you a needy one, one of your brothers within any of your gates in your land that Yahweh your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand against your needy brother.
8But you shall surely open your hand to him and shall surely lend to him enough for his need, whatever he lacks.
9Guard yourself lest there be a worthless thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is near,’ and your eye be evil against your needy brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out against you to Yahweh, and it become sin in you.
10You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, for on account of this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.
11For the needy one will never cease from within the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your afflicted, and to your needy in your land.’
12If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall send him away free from you.
13And when you send him away free from you, you shall not send him away empty-handed.
14You shall surely furnish him generously from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, so you shall give to him.
15And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding you this thing today.
16But if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since it is good for him with you,
17then you shall take the awl and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And likewise to your maidservant you shall do so.
18It shall not seem hard in your eyes when you send him away free from you, for at double the wage of a hired worker he has served you six years; and Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do.
19Every firstborn male that is born in your herd and in your flock you shall consecrate to Yahweh your God. You shall not work with the firstborn of your ox, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your flock.
20Before Yahweh your God you shall eat it year by year, in the place that Yahweh will choose, you and your household.
21But if there is a blemish in it—lame or blind, any serious defect—you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.
22Within your gates you shall eat it, the unclean and the clean together, as with the gazelle and as with the deer.
23Only its blood you shall not eat; on the ground you shall pour it out like water.
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