Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 "At the end of every seventh year you are to cancel the debts of those who owe you money.
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At the end of every seven years you shall make a release.
2 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.
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This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh's release has been proclaimed.
3 You may collect what a foreigner owes you, but you must not collect what any of your own people owe you.
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Of a foreigner you may exact it: but whatever of your is with your brother your hand shall release.
4 "The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving you. Not one of your people will be poor
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However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;)
5 if you obey him and carefully observe everything that I command you today.
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if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you this day.
6 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.
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For Yahweh 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.
7 "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.
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If there be with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
8 Instead, be generous and lend them as much as they need.
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but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need [in that] which he wants.
9 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.
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Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.
10 Give to them freely and unselfishly, and the Lord will bless you in everything you do.
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You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to.
11 There will always be some Israelites who are poor and in need, and so I command you to be generous to them.
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For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
12 "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.
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If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
13 When you set them free, do not send them away empty-handed.
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When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty:
14 Give to them generously from what the Lord has blessed you with - sheep, grain, and wine.
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you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
15 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.
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You shall remember that you were a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today.
16 "But your slave may not want to leave; he may love you and your family and be content to stay.
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It shall be, if he tell you, I will not go out from you; because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you;
17 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.
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then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your maid-servant you shall do likewise.
18 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.
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It shall not seem hard to you, when you let him go free from you; for to the double of the hire of a hireling has he served you six years: and Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do.
19 "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.
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All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to Yahweh your God: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
20 Each year you and your family are to eat them in the Lord's presence at the one place of worship.
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You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household.
21 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.
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If it have any blemish, [as if it be] lame or blind, any ill blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.
22 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.
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You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean [shall eat it] alike, as the gazelle, and as the hart.
23 But do not use their blood for food; instead, you must pour it out on the ground like water.
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Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground as water.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.