¹At the end of every seven years , you shall cancel debts.

²This is the way it shall be done : every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor . He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother , because the LORD ’s release has been proclaimed .

³Of a foreigner you may require it ; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release .

⁴However there will be no poor with you (for the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess )

⁵if only you diligently listen to the LORD your God ’s voice , to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today .

⁶For the LORD your God will bless you , as he promised you . You will lend to many nations , but you will not borrow . You will rule over many nations , but they will not rule over you .

⁷If a poor man , one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you , you shall not harden your heart , nor shut your hand from your poor brother;

⁸but you shall surely open your hand to him , and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need , which he lacks .

⁹Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart , saying , “The seventh year , the year of release , is at hand ,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing ; and he cry to the LORD against you , and it be sin to you .

¹⁰You shall surely give , and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him , because it is for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to .

¹¹For the poor will never cease out of the land . Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy , and to your poor , 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 let him go free from you .

¹³When you let him go free from you , you shall not let him go empty .

¹⁴You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock , out of your threshing floor , and out of your wine press . As the LORD your God has blessed you , you shall give to him .

¹⁵You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt , and the LORD your God redeemed you . Therefore I command you this thing today .

¹⁶It shall be , if he tells you , “I will not go out from you ,” because he loves you and your house , because he is well with you ,

¹⁷then you shall take an awl , and thrust it through his ear to the door , and he shall be your servant forever . Also to your female servant you shall do likewise .

¹⁸It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you , for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years . The LORD your God will bless you in all that you do .

¹⁹You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to the LORD your God . You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd , nor shear the firstborn of your flock .

²⁰You shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household .

²¹If it has any defect —is lame or blind , or has any defect whatever , you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God .

²²You shall eat it within your gates . The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike , as the gazelle and as the deer.

²³Only you shall not eat its blood . You shall pour it out on the ground like water .