| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. | 1“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. |
| 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. | 2And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the LORD’s release has been proclaimed. |
| 3Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, | 3Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. |
| 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— | 4But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance 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. | 5if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command 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, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall 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 among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, |
| 8but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. | 8but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. |
| 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. | 9Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you 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 shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. |
| 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 in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, 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“If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and 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; | 13And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go 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. | 14You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. |
| 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. | 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 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 he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he 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. | 17then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same. |
| 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. | 18It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired worker he has served you six years. So the LORD your God 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“All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor 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. | 20You shall eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place that 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. | 21But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall 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. | 22You shall eat it within your towns. The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer. |
| 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water. | 23Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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