The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 At the end of every seven years there is to be a general forgiveness of debt.
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"At the end of every seventh year you are to cancel the debts of those who owe you money.
2 This is how it is to be done: every creditor is to give up his right to whatever he has let his neighbour have; he is not to make his neighbour, his countryman, give it back; because a general forgiveness has been ordered by the Lord.
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This is how it is to be done. Each of you who has lent money to any Israelite is to cancel the debt; you must not try to collect the money; the Lord himself has declared the debt canceled.
3 A man of another nation may be forced to make payment of his debt, but if your brother has anything of yours, let it go;
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You may collect what a foreigner owes you, but you must not collect what any of your own people owe you.
4 But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will certainly give you his blessing in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage;
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"The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving you. Not one of your people will be poor
5 If only you give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, and take care to keep all these orders which I give you today.
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if you obey him and carefully observe everything that I command you today.
6 For the Lord your God will give you his blessing as he has said: you will let other nations have the use of your money, but you will not make use of theirs; you will be rulers over a number of nations, but they will not be your rulers.
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The Lord will bless you, as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations, but you will not have to borrow from any; you will have control over many nations, but no nation will have control over you.
7 If in any of your towns in the land which the Lord your God is giving you, there is a poor man, one of your countrymen, do not let your heart be hard or your hand shut to him;
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"If in any of the towns in the land that the Lord your God is giving you there are Israelites in need, then do not be selfish and refuse to help them.
8 But let your hand be open to give him the use of whatever he is in need of.
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Instead, be generous and lend them as much as they need.
9 And see that there is no evil thought in your heart, moving you to say to yourself, The seventh year, the year of forgiveness is near; and so looking coldly on your poor countryman you give him nothing; and he will make an outcry to the Lord against you, and it will be judged as sin in you.
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Do not refuse to lend them something, just because the year when debts are canceled is near. Do not let such an evil thought enter your mind. If you refuse to make the loan, they will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty.
10 But it is right for you to give to him, without grief of heart: for because of this, the blessing of the Lord your God will be on all your work and on everything to which you put your hand.
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Give to them freely and unselfishly, and the Lord will bless you in everything you do.
11 For there will never be a time when there are no poor in the land; and so I give orders to you, Let your hand be open to your countrymen, to those who are poor and in need in your land.
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There will always be some Israelites who are poor and in need, and so I command you to be generous to them.
12 If one of your countrymen, a Hebrew man or woman, becomes your servant for a price and does work for you six years, in the seventh year let him go free.
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"If any Israelites, male or female, sell themselves to you as slaves, you are to release them after they have served you for six years. When the seventh year comes, you must let them go free.
13 And when you make him free, do not let him go away with nothing in his hands:
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When you set them free, do not send them away empty-handed.
14 But give him freely from your flock and from your grain and your wine: in the measure of the wealth which the Lord your God has given you, you are to give to him.
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Give to them generously from what the Lord has blessed you with - sheep, grain, and wine.
15 And keep in mind that you yourself were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God made you free: so I give you this order today.
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Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God set you free; that is why I am now giving you this command.
16 But if he says to you, I have no desire to go away from you; because you and your family are dear to him and he is happy with you;
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"But your slave may not want to leave; he may love you and your family and be content to stay.
17 Then take a sharp-pointed instrument, driving it through his ear into the door, and he will be your servant for ever. And you may do the same for your servant-girl.
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Then take him to the door of your house and there pierce his ear; he will then be your slave for life. Treat your female slave in the same way.
18 Let it not seem hard to you that you have to send him away free; for he has been working for you for six years, which is twice the regular time for a servant: and the blessing of the Lord your God will be on you in everything you do.
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Do not be resentful when you set slaves free; after all, they have served you for six years at half the cost of hired servants. Do this, and the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.
19 All the first males to come to birth in your herd and your flock are to be holy to the Lord your God: the first birth of your ox is not to be used for work, the wool of your first lamb is not to be cut.
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"Set aside for the Lord your God all the first-born males of your cattle and sheep; don't use any of these cattle for work and don't shear any of these sheep.
20 But year by year you and all your house are to take a meal of it before the Lord, in the place of his selection.
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Each year you and your family are to eat them in the Lord's presence at the one place of worship.
21 But if it has any mark on it, if it is blind or has damaged legs, or if there is anything wrong with it, it may not be offered to the Lord your God.
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But if there is anything wrong with the animals, if they are crippled or blind or have any other serious defect, you must not sacrifice them to the Lord your God.
22 It may be used for food in your houses: the unclean and the clean may take of it, as of the gazelle and the roe.
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You may eat such animals at home. All of you, whether ritually clean or unclean, may eat them, just as you eat deer or antelope.
23 Only do not take its blood for food, but let it be drained out on the earth like water.
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But do not use their blood for food; instead, you must pour it out on the ground like water.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.