| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. | 1At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. |
| 2And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release. | 2This is how to cancel debt: Every creditor is to cancel what he has lent his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD's release of debts has been proclaimed. |
| 3Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, | 3You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you." |
| 4except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— | 4There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD is certain to bless you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance-- |
| 5only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. | 5if only you obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow every one of these commands I am giving you today. |
| 6For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. | 6When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised you, you will lend to many nations but not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you." |
| 7“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, | 7If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land the LORD your God is giving you, you must not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. |
| 8but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. | 8Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has. |
| 9Beware lest there 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 out to the LORD against you, and it become sin among you. | 9Be careful that there isn't this wicked thought in your heart, 'The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near,' and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty. |
| 10You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. | 10Give to him, and don't have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do. |
| 11For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’ | 11For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, 'You must willingly open your hand to your afflicted and poor brother in your land.'" |
| 12“If 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. | 12If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year. |
| 13And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; | 13When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed. |
| 14you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the LORD your God has blessed you with, you shall give to him. | 14Give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You are to give him whatever the LORD your God has blessed you with. |
| 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. | 15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today. |
| 16And if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, | 16But if your slave says to you, 'I don't want to leave you,' because he loves you and your family, and is well off 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. | 17take an awl and pierce through his ear into the door, and he will become your slave for life. Also treat your female slave the same way. |
| 18It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do. | 18Do not regard it as a hardship when you set him free, because he worked for you six years--worth twice the wages of a hired hand. Then the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do." |
| 19“All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. | 19You must consecrate to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herd and flock. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work or shear the firstborn of your flock. |
| 20You and your household shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD chooses. | 20Each year you and your family are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD chooses. |
| 21But if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. | 21But if there is a defect in the animal, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. |
| 22You may eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer. | 22Eat it within your gates; both the unclean person and the clean may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or deer. |
| 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water. | 23But you must not eat its blood; pour it on the ground like water." |
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