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¹ AT the end of every seven years you shall make a release.² And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release any debt which his neighbor owes him; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the year of the LORDS release.³ Of a foreigner you may exact it again; but that which you have with your brother (kindred) you shall release,⁴ So that there will be no poor among you; for the LORD your God shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess.⁵ If you hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day.⁶ For the LORD your God shall bless you, as he promised 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.⁷ If there is among you a poor person of one of your brethren within any of your towns in the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother:⁸ But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him whatsoever he lacks.⁹ Beware that there be not a wicked thought in your heart, and you say, The seventh year, the year of release, is near; and your eye be evil toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to the LORD against you, and it be sin to you.¹⁰ You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be displeased when you give to him; because for this thing the LORD your God shall bless you in all your works and in all things that you undertake.¹¹ For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide to your poor brother and to the needy in your land.

¹² And if your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and he shall serve you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.¹³ And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed;¹⁴ But you shall set aside and give to him out of your flocks and out of your oxen and out of your threshing floor and out of your wine press; out of everything which the LORD your God gives you, you shall give to him.¹⁵ And you shall remember that you were a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD your God delivered you; therefore I command you this thing today.¹⁶ But if he says to you. I will not go away from you, because I love you and your household, and because it is better for me to be with you,¹⁷ Then you must take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant for ever. You shall do likewise to your maidservant.¹⁸ You shall not show displeasure when you let him go free from you; for he has served you double according to the wages of a hired servant, in serving you six years; and the LORD your God shall bless you in all that you do.

¹⁹ All the firstling males that are born of your herds and of your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstlings of your oxen, nor shear the firstlings of your sheep.²⁰ You shall eat a firstling before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household;²¹ And if there is any blemish in it, or it is lame or blind, or have any ill blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.²² But you shall eat it within your towns; the unclean and the clean shall eat of it alike, as a gazelle, and as the hart.²³ Only you shall not eat the blood; but you must pour it out on the ground like water.