Deuteronomy 15
15
Debts Canceled Every Seven Years
1“At the end of #Ex. 21:2; 23:10, 11; Lev. 25:4; Jer. 34:14every seven years you shall grant a release of 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. 3Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly #Deut. 7:13bless you in the land which 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. 6For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; #Deut. 28:12, 44you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
Generosity to the Poor
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, #Ex. 23:6; Lev. 25:35–37; Deut. 24:12–14; (1 John 3:17)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8but #Matt. 5:42; Gal. 2:10you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your #Deut. 28:54, 56eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and #Ex. 22:23; Deut. 24:15; Job 34:28; Ps. 12:5; James 5:4he cry out to the Lord against you, and #(Matt. 25:41, 42)it become sin among you. 10You shall surely give to him, and #2 Cor. 9:5, 7your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because #Deut. 14:29; Ps. 41:1; Prov. 22:9for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11For #Matt. 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8the 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.’
The Law Concerning Bondservants
12#Ex. 21:2–6; Jer. 34:14“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is #Lev. 25:39–46sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go 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 #Prov. 10:22blessed you with, you shall give to him. 15#Deut. 5:15You 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. 16#Ex. 21:5, 6And 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, 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 send him away free from you; for he has been worth #Is. 16:14a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.
The Law Concerning Firstborn Animals
19#Ex. 13:2, 12“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. 20#Lev. 7:15–18; Deut. 12:5; 14:23You and your household shall eat it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord chooses. 21#Lev. 22:19–25; Deut. 17:1But 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. 22You may eat it within your gates; #Deut. 12:15, 16, 22the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer. 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.
Currently Selected:
Deuteronomy 15: NKJV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy 15
15
The Special Year of Canceling Debts
1“At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts. 2This is the way you must do this: Everyone who has lent money to another Israelite must cancel the debt. He should not ask a fellow Israelite to repay the debt, because the Lord said to cancel debts during that year. 3You may require a foreigner to repay you, but you must cancel any debt another Israelite owes you. 4There should not be any poor people in your country, because the Lord your God is giving you this land. And the Lord will greatly bless you. 5But this will happen only if you obey the Lord your God. You must be careful to obey every command that I have told you today. 6Then the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised. And you will have enough money to make loans to many nations. But you will not need to borrow from anyone. You will rule over many nations. But none of these nations will rule over you.
7“When you are living in the land the Lord your God is giving you, there might be some poor people living among you. You must not be selfish. You must not refuse to give help to them. 8You must be willing to share with them. You must lend them whatever they need.
9“Don’t ever refuse to help someone simply because the seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near. Don’t let an evil thought like that enter your mind. You must never have bad thoughts about someone who needs help. You must not refuse to help them. If you don’t help the poor, they might complain to the Lord, and he will judge you guilty of sin.
10“So be sure to give to the poor. Don’t hesitate to give to them, because the Lord your God will bless you for doing this good thing. He will bless you in all your work and in everything you do. 11There will always be poor people in the land. That is why I command you to be ready to help your brother or sister. Give to the poor in your land who need help.
Letting Slaves Go Free
12“You might buy a Hebrew man or woman to serve you as a slave. You may keep that person as a slave for six years. But in the seventh year, you must let that person go free. 13But when you let your slave go free, don’t send him away with nothing. 14You must give him some of your animals, grain, and wine. The Lord your God blessed you and gave you plenty of good things. In the same way you must give plenty of good things to your slave. 15Remember, you were slaves in Egypt. And the Lord your God set you free. So that is why I am giving you this command today.
16“But one of your slaves might say to you, ‘I will not leave you.’ He might say this because he loves you and your family and because he has a good life with you. 17Make this servant put his ear against your door and use a sharp tool to make a hole in his ear. This will show that he is your slave forever. You must do this even to the women slaves who want to stay with you.
18“Don’t regret letting your slave go free. Remember, he served you six years for half of what you would have paid a hired worker.#15:18 Remember … hired worker Or “Remember, he served you for six years for the same amount you would have paid a hired worker.” The Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
Rules About Firstborn Animals
19“All the first male animals born in your herd and flock are special. You must give them to the Lord. Don’t use any of these animals for your work and don’t cut wool from any of these sheep. 20Every year you must take these animals to the place the Lord your God will choose. There with the Lord, you and your family will eat these animals.
21“But if an animal has something wrong with it—if it is crippled or blind or has something else wrong with it—then you must not sacrifice that animal to the Lord your God. 22But you may eat the meat from that animal at home. Anyone may eat it—people who are clean and people who are unclean. The rules for eating this meat are the same as the rules for eating gazelles and deer. 23But you must not eat the blood from the animal. You must pour the blood out on the ground like water.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International