Deuteronomy 15:9-19

9 And beware that there be not a poynte of Belial in thine hert, that thou woldest saye. The seuenth yere, the yere of fredome is at honde, and therfore it greue the to loke on thy poore brother and geuest him nought and he then crye vnto the Lorde agenst the and it be synne vnto the:

10 But geue him, and let it not greue thine hert to geue. Because that for that thinge, the Lorde thy God shall blesse the in all thi workes and in all that thou puttest thine hande to.

11 For the londe shall neuer be without poore. Wherfore I comaunde the sayenge: open thine hande vnto thi brother that is neady ad poore in thy lande.

12 Yf thi brother an Hebrue sell him self to the or an Hebruas, he shall serue the syxe yere and the seuenth yere thou shalt lett him go fre from the.

13 And when thou sendest hym out fre from the, thou shalt not let him goo awaye emptye:

14 but shalt geue him of thy shepe and of thi corne and of thy wyne, and geue him off that where with the Lorde thi God hath blessed the.

15 And remembre that thou wast a seruaunte in the londe of Egipte, and the Lorde thi God delyuered the thence: wherfore I commaunde the this thinge to daye.

16 But and yf he saye vnto the, I will not goo awaye from the, because he loueth the and thine housse and is well at ease with the.

17 Then take a naule and nayle his eare too the doore there with ad let him be thi seruaunte foreuer and vnto thi mayde seruaunte thou shalt doo likewise.

18 And let it not greue thine eyes to lett him goo out from the, for he hath bene worthe a double hired seruaunte to the in his seruyce .vi. yeres. And the Lorde thi God shall blesse the in all that thou doest.

19 All the firstborne that come of thine oxen and of thi shepe that are males, thou shalt halowe vnto the Lorde thi God. Thou shalt do no seruyce with the firstborne of thi shepe:

Deuteronomy 15:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 15

This chapter treats of a release of debts every seventh year, to which a blessing is promised if attended to, De 15:1-6, which seventh year of release should not hinder lending to a poor man in distress, even though it was nigh at hand, De 15:7-11 and of letting servants go free, whether manservant or maidservant, at the end of six years' servitude, De 15:12-15 but if unwilling to go, and desirous of staying, must have his ear bored through with an awl, and serve to the year of jubilee, De 15:16-18 and of sanctifying and eating the firstlings of the herd and flock where the Lord directs, De 15:19-23.