| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. | 1“At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money. |
| 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 it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the LORD’s time of release has arrived. |
| 3Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, | 3This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites—not to the foreigners living among 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— | 4“There should be no poor among you, for the LORD your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. |
| 5only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. | 5You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God that 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. | 6The LORD your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule 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“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. |
| 8but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. | 8Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they 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. | 9Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the LORD, you will be considered 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. | 10Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you 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.’ | 11There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. Release for Hebrew Slaves |
| 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“If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free. |
| 13And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; | 13“When you release a male servant, 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 him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the LORD your God has blessed you. |
| 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 once slaves in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command. |
| 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“But suppose your servant says, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and he has done 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. | 17In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. And do the same for your female servants. |
| 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. | 18“You must not consider it a hardship when you release your servants. Remember that for six years they have given you services worth double the wages of hired workers, and the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. Sacrificing Firstborn Male Animals |
| 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“You must set aside for the LORD your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks. |
| 20You and your household shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD chooses. | 20Instead, you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of the LORD your God each year at the place he 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 this firstborn animal has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or if anything else is wrong with it, 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. | 22Instead, use it for food for your family in your hometown. Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat it, just as anyone may eat a gazelle or deer. |
| 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water. | 23But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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