1“At the end of every seven years you shall make a release (cancel all debts). 2And this is how it is to be done: Every creditor that lends anything to a fellow Israelite shall release (cancel) the debt; he must not require payment from his neighbor, or his brother; because it is called the LORD's time of release. 3You may require payment from a foreigner: but whatever is owed by your brother, you shall release; 4But there should be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, 5If only you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to do all these commandments which I command you today. 6For the LORD your God will bless you, as He promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not need to borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

7“If there is a poor man among your brethren within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you must not harden your heart, nor tighten your fist and withhold from your poor brother: 8But you must open your hand wide to him, and lend him sufficient for his need, in what he lacks. 9Beware that there is not a wicked thought in your heart, that whispers, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand’; and you look with an evil eye toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and then he appeals to the LORD about you, and it becomes sin to you. 10You must surely give generously to him, and not grudgingly when you lend to him, because for this thing the LORD your God shall bless you in all your efforts, and in all that you put your hand to. 11For the poor shall never cease to be in the land; therefore, I command, ‘You must open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land’.

12“And if your brother, a Hebrew - man or woman - is sold to you, and serves you six years; then in the seventh year you must let him go free. 13And when you let him or her go free, you must not let him go away empty: 14You must furnish him liberally out of your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress; of whatever the LORD your God has blessed you with, you must give to him. 15You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God rescued you: therefore, I give you this command today. 16And it shall be, if he says to you, ‘I will not leave you’; because he loves you and your household, because he is well off with you; 17Then you shall take an awl, and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. And you shall do likewise to your maidservant. 18You shall not think it hard for you to set him free and see him depart from you; for he has been worth twice that of a hired servant to you, in serving you six years; and the LORD your God shall bless you in all that you do.

19“All the firstborn males that come from your herd and flock you shall sanctify unto the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your bullock, nor shear the firstborn of your sheep. 20You shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose - you and your household. 21And if there is any blemish in it, such as being lame, blind, or have any defect, you must not sacrifice it unto the LORD your God. 22You shall eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially clean and unclean person shall eat it alike, as the gazelle, and as the hart (deer). 23But you must not eat its blood; you must pour it upon the ground like water.