| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1At the end of every seven years you must declare a cancellation of debts. | 1"You must cancel your debts at the end of every seventh year. |
| 2This is the nature of the cancellation: Every creditor must remit what he has loaned to another person; he must not force payment from his fellow Israelite, for it is to be recognized as "the LORD's cancellation of debts." | 2This is the way to conduct remission: every creditor must cancel the loan that his friend borrowed, and he must not pressure his friend or brother to repay it, because remission to the LORD will be proclaimed. |
| 3You may exact payment from a foreigner, but whatever your fellow Israelite owes you, you must remit. | 3You may exact payment from a foreigner, but cancel whatever your brother owes you. |
| 4However, there should not be any poor among you, for the LORD will surely bless you in the land that he is giving you as an inheritance, | 4Moreover, there will be no poor person among you, for the LORD will surely bless you in the land that he is about to give you to possess. |
| 5if you carefully obey him by keeping all these commandments that I am giving you today. | 5Only be certain to obey the voice of the LORD your God. Carefully observe all of these commands that I'm commanding to you today. |
| 6For the LORD your God will bless you just as he has promised; you will lend to many nations but will not borrow from any, and you will rule over many nations but they will not rule over you. | 6For the LORD your God will bless you just as he promised. You are to lend to many nations but not borrow. Also, you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you." |
| 7If a fellow Israelite from one of your villages in the land that the LORD your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition. | 7"If there should be a poor man among your relatives in one of the cities of the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative. |
| 8Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend him whatever he needs. | 8Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need. |
| 9Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the LORD against you and you will be regarded as having sinned. | 9Be careful not to think this wicked thought to yourselves: 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is drawing near,' and you show ill will toward your poor relative and not give to him. He may then call to the LORD on account of you, and you will be guilty of sin. |
| 10You must by all means lend to him and not be upset by doing it, for because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you attempt. | 10You must certainly give to him and not feel regret for doing so. Because of this, the LORD your God will bless all your works and everything you do. |
| 11There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land. | 11Since poor people won't cease to exist in the land, therefore I'm commanding you: Be sure to be generous to your poor and needy relatives in your land." |
| 12If your fellow Hebrew--whether male or female--is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant go free. | 12"When a fellow Hebrew male or female slave is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you are to set them free. |
| 13If you set them free, you must not send them away empty-handed. | 13But when you set them free, don't send them away empty-handed. |
| 14You must supply them generously from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress--as the LORD your God has blessed you, you must give to them. | 14Provide for them liberally from your flock, threshing floor, and wine vat. As the LORD your God has blessed you, so give to them. |
| 15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you to do this thing today. | 15Don't ever forget that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, yet the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore, I'm giving you these commands today. |
| 16However, if the servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your household, since he is well off with you, | 16"Should that slave say to you, 'I won't leave you,' because he loves you and your household, and it was good for him to be with you, |
| 17you shall take an awl and pierce a hole through his ear to the door. Then he will become your servant permanently (this applies to your female servant as well). | 17then take an awl and pierce through his earlobe into the door. Then he will be your slave forever. You are to do the same for your female slaves. |
| 18You should not consider it difficult to let him go free, for he will have served you for six years, twice the time of a hired worker; the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. | 18Don't view this as a hardship for yourself when you set him free, for he will have served you for six years—twice the time of a paid worker. Then the LORD will bless you in all that you do." |
| 19You must set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male born to your herds and flocks. You must not work the firstborn of your bulls or shear the firstborn of your flocks. | 19"Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male among your herd and flock. You must not put the firstborn of your ox to work or shear the firstborn of your flock. |
| 20You and your household must eat them annually before the LORD your God in the place he chooses. | 20Then in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your household must eat them every year at the place the LORD will choose. |
| 21If they have any kind of blemish--lameness, blindness, or anything else--you may not offer them as a sacrifice to the LORD your God. | 21If it has a blemish—lameness, blindness, or any kind of defect—you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. |
| 22You may eat it in your villages, whether you are ritually impure or clean, just as you would eat a gazelle or an ibex. | 22In your cities both the unclean and the clean together are to eat together, as the gazelle and the deer. |
| 23However, you must not eat its blood; you must pour it out on the ground like water. | 23Only you must not eat its blood. Pour it on the ground like water." |
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