The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "At the end of every seven years you are to have a sh'mittah.
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At the end of every seven years there is to be a general forgiveness of debt.
2 Here is how the sh'mittah is to be done: every creditor is to give up what he has loaned to his fellow member of the community -he is not to force his neighbor or relative to repay it, because ADONAI's time of remission has been proclaimed.
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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.
3 You may demand that a foreigner repay his debt, but you are to release your claim on whatever your brother owes you.
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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;
4 In spite of this, there will be no one needy among you; because ADONAI will certainly bless you in the land which ADONAI your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess -
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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;
5 if only you will listen carefully to what ADONAI your God says and take care to obey all these mitzvot I am giving you today.
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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.
6 Yes, ADONAI your God will bless you, as he promised you - you will lend money to many nations without having to borrow, and you will rule over many nations without their ruling over you.
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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.
7 "If someone among you is needy, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which ADONAI your God is giving you, you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from giving to your needy brother.
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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;
8 No, you must open your hand to him and lend him enough to meet his need and enable him to obtain what he wants.
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But let your hand be open to give him the use of whatever he is in need of.
9 Guard yourself against allowing your heart to entertain the mean-spirited thought that because the seventh year, the year of sh'mittah is at hand, you would be stingy toward your needy brother and not give him anything; for then he may cry out to ADONAI against you, and it will be your sin.
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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.
10 Rather, you must give to him; and you are not to be grudging when you give to him. If you do this, ADONAI your God will bless you in all your work, in everything you undertake -
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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.
11 for there will always be poor people in the land. That is why I am giving you this order, 'You must open your hand to your poor and needy brother in your land.'
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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.
12 "If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, he is to serve you for six years; but in the seventh year, you are to set him free.
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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.
13 Moreover, when you set him free, don't let him leave empty-handed;
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And when you make him free, do not let him go away with nothing in his hands:
14 but supply him generously from your flock, threshing-floor and winepress; from what ADONAI your God has blessed you with, you are to give to him.
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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.
15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and ADONAI your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this order today.
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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.
16 But if he says to you, 'I don't want to leave you,' because he loves you and your household, and because his life with you is a good one;
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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;
17 then take an awl, and pierce his ear through, right into the door; and he will be your slave forever. Do the same with your female slave.
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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.
18 Don't resent it when you set him free, since during his six years of service he has been worth twice as much as a hired employee. Then ADONAI your God will bless you in everything you do.
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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.
19 "All the firstborn males in your herd of cattle and in your flock you are to set aside for ADONAI your God; you are not to do any work with a firstborn from your herd or shear a firstborn sheep.
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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.
20 Each year you and your household are to eat it in the presence of ADONAI your God in the place which ADONAI will choose.
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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.
21 But if it has a defect, is lame or blind, or has some other kind of fault, you are not to sacrifice it to ADONAI your God;
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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.
22 rather, eat it on your own property; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, like the gazelle or the deer.
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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.
23 Just don't eat its blood, but pour it out on the ground like water.
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Only do not take its blood for food, but let it be drained out on the earth like water.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.