Deuteronomy 15:17-23

17 thou shalt take an awl, and thou shalt pierce (it through) his ear in(to) the door of thine house, and (then) he shall serve thee till into the world; also thou shalt do in like manner to an handmaid (and thou shalt treat a slave-girl in the same manner).

18 Thou shalt not turn away from them thine eyes, when thou shalt deliver them free, for by the hire of an hired man they served thee by six years; that thy Lord God bless thee, in all the works which thou doest. (Thou shalt not turn away thine eyes from them, when thou shalt set them free, for they have served thee for six years at half the cost, or at half the wages, of a hired servant; and then the Lord thy God shall bless thee, in all the works which thou doest.)

19 Of the first engendered things that be born in thy droves, and in thy sheep, whatever is of male kind, thou shalt hallow to thy Lord God (Of the first-born of thy herds, and of thy sheep, whatever is male, thou shalt dedicate to the Lord thy God). Thou shalt not work with the first engendered thing of oxen, and thou shalt not shear the first engendered things of sheep.

20 Thou shalt eat those by all years in the sight of thy Lord God, thou, and thine house, in the place which the Lord choose. (Rather, year after year, thou shalt eat them before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy household, or thy family, in the place which the Lord shall choose.)

21 And if it have a wem (But if it hath a blemish, or a fault), either is crooked, either (is) blind, either is foul, either (is) feeble in any part, it shall not be offered to thy Lord God;

22 but thou shalt eat it within the gates of thy city, both a clean man and an unclean (man) shall eat of those in like manner, as of a capret, and of an hart. (but thou shalt eat it within the gates of thy city, both a clean person and an unclean person shall eat it, like they would a gazelle, or a deer.)

23 Only thou shalt keep this, that thou eat not the blood of those, but shed it out as water into the earth. (But thou shalt not eat any of their blood, but thou shalt pour it out like water onto the ground.)

Deuteronomy 15:17-23 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.