English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 "At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release.
1
At the end of every seventh year, cancel all debts.
2 And 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.
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This is the procedure: Everyone who has lent money to a neighbor writes it off. You must not press your neighbor or his brother for payment: All-Debts-Are-Canceled - God says so.
3 Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release.
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You may collect payment from foreigners, but whatever you have lent to your fellow Israelite you must write off.
4 But 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--
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There must be no poor people among you because God is going to bless you lavishly in this land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, your very own land.
5 if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today.
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But only if you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, diligently observing every commandment that I command you today.
6 For 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.
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Oh yes - God, your God, will bless you just as he promised. You will lend to many nations but won't borrow from any; you'll rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
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,
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When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse.
8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
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No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs.
9 Take 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.
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Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice saying, "It's almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled," and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call God's attention to you and your blatant sin.
10 You 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.
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Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures.
11 For 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.'
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There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.
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.
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If a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman was sold to you and has served you for six years, in the seventh year you must set him or her free, released into a free life.
13 And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.
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And when you set them free don't send them off empty-handed.
14 You 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.
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Provide them with some animals, plenty of bread and wine and oil. Load them with provisions from all the blessings with which God, your God, has blessed you.
15 You 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.
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Don't for a minute forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and God, your God, redeemed you from that slave world. For that reason, this day I command you to do this.
16 But 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,
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But if your slave, because he loves you and your family and has a good life with you, says, "I don't want to leave you,"
17 then 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.
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then take an awl and pierce through his earlobe into the doorpost, marking him as your slave forever. Do the same with your women slaves who want to stay with you.
18 It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired servant he has served you six years. So the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.
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Don't consider this an unreasonable hardship, this setting your slave free. After all, he's worked six years for you at half the cost of a hired hand. Believe me, God, your God, will bless you in everything you do.
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.
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Consecrate to God, your God, all the firstborn males in your herds and flocks. Don't use the firstborn from your herds as work animals; don't shear the firstborn from your flocks.
20 You shall eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place that the LORD will choose.
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These are for you to eat every year, you and your family, in the Presence of God, your God, at the place that God designates for worship.
21 But 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.
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If the animal is defective, lame, say, or blind - anything wrong with it - don't slaughter it as a sacrifice to God, your God.
22 You shall eat it within your towns. The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer.
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Stay at home and eat it there. Both the ritually clean and unclean may eat it, the same as with a gazelle or a deer.
23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
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Only you must not eat its blood. Pour the blood out on the ground like water.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.