| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. | 1"You must cancel your debts at the end of every seventh year. |
| 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 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. |
| 3Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, | 3You may exact payment from a foreigner, but cancel 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— | 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. |
| 5only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command 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 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. | 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." |
| 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, | 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. |
| 8but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. | 8Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need. |
| 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 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 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. | 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. |
| 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.’ | 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." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 13And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; | 13But when you set them free, don't send them 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. | 14Provide for them liberally from your flock, threshing floor, and wine vat. As the LORD your God has blessed you, so give to them. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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, | 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, |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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." |
| 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. | 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 shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD 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. |
| 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. | 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 within your gates; the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer. | 22In your cities both the unclean and the clean together are to eat together, as the gazelle and the deer. |
| 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water. | 23Only you must not eat its blood. Pour it on the ground like water." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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