Deuteronomy 15

miqqets sheva-shanim ta'aseh shemittah

Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts.

vezeh devar hashemittah shamot kol-ba'al masheh yado asher yasheh bere'ehu lo-yiggos et-re'ehu ve'et-akhiv ki-qara shemittah la-Adonai

This shall be the nature of the remission: all creditors shall remit the due that they claim from their fellow Israelites; they shall not dun their fellow Israelites—their kindred—for the remission proclaimed is of GOD.

et-hannokhri tiggos va'asher yihyeh lekha et-akhikha tashmet yadekha

You may dun the foreigner; but you must remit whatever is due you from your kindred.

efes ki lo yihyeh-bbekha evyon ki-varekh yevarekhkha Adonai ba'arets asher Adonai elohekha noten-lekha nakhalah lerishtah

There shall be no needy among you—since the ETERNAL your God will bless you in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you as a hereditary portion—

raq im-shamoa tishma beqol Adonai elohekha lishmor la'asot et-kol-hammitsvah hazzot asher anokhi metsavvekha hayyom

if only you heed the ETERNAL your God and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day.

ki-Adonai elohekha berakhkha ka'asher dibber-lakh veha'avatta goyim rabbim ve'attah lo ta'avot umashalta begoyim rabbim uvekha lo yimsholu

For the ETERNAL your God will bless you as promised: you will extend loans to many nations, but require none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you.

ki-yihyeh vekha evyon me'akhad akhekha be'akhad she'arekha be'artsekha asher-Adonai elohekha noten lakh lo te'ammets et-levavekha velo tiqpots et-yadekha me'akhikha ha'evyon

If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kindred in any of your settlements in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kindred.

ki-fatoakh tiftakh et-yadekha lo veha'avet ta'avitennu de makhsoro asher yekhsar lo

Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.

hishamer lekha pen-yihyeh davar im-levavekha veliyya'al lemor qarevah shenat-hasheva shenat hashemittah vera'ah enekha be'akhikha ha'evyon velo titten lo veqara alekha el-Adonai vehayah vekha khet

Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean and give nothing to your needy kindred—who will cry out to GOD against you, and you will incur guilt.

naton titten lo velo-yera levavekha betittekha lo ki biglal haddavar hazzeh yevarekhkha Adonai elohekha bekhol-ma'asekha uvekhol mishlakh yadekha

Give readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return the ETERNAL your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings.

ki lo-yekhdal evyon miqqerev ha'arets al-ken anokhi metsavvekha lemor patoakh tiftakh et-yadekha le'akhikha la'aniyyekha ule'evyonekha be'artsekha

For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kindred in your land.

ki-yimmakher lekha akhikha ha'ivri o ha'ivriyyah va'avadekha shesh shanim uvashanah hashevi'it teshallekhennu khofshi me'immakh

If any fellow Hebrew, man or woman, is sold to you, they shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall set them free.

vekhi-teshallekhennu khofshi me'immakh lo teshallekhennu reqam

When you set them free, do not let them go empty-handed:

ha'aneq ta'aniq lo mitsonekha umiggornekha umiyyiqvekha asher berakhkha Adonai elohekha titten-lo

Furnish them out of the flock, threshing floor, and vat, with which the ETERNAL your God has blessed you.

vezakharta ki eved hayita be'erets mitsrayim vayyifdekha Adonai elohekha al-ken anokhi metsavvekha et-haddavar hazzeh hayyom

Bear in mind that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and the ETERNAL your God redeemed you; therefore I enjoin this commandment upon you today.

vehayah ki-yomar elekha lo etse me'immakh ki ahevekha ve'et-betekha ki-tov lo immakh

But should they say to you, “I do not want to leave you”—for they love you and your household and are happy with you—

velaqakhta et-hammartsea venatattah ve'ozno uvaddelet vehayah lekha eved olam ve'af la'amatekha ta'aseh-kken

you shall take an awl and put it through their ear into the door, and they shall become your slave in perpetuity. Do this even with your female slave.

lo-yiqsheh ve'enekha beshallekhakha oto khofshi me'immakh ki mishneh sekhar sakhir avadekha shesh shanim uverakhkha Adonai elohekha bekhol asher ta'aseh

When you do set them free, do not feel aggrieved; for in the six years you have been given double the service of a hired worker. Moreover, the ETERNAL your God will bless you in all you do.

kol-habbekhor asher yivvaled bivqarekha uvetsonekha hazzakhar taqdish la-Adonai elohekha lo ta'avod bivkhor shorekha velo tagoz bekhor tsonekha

You shall consecrate to the ETERNAL your God all male firstlings that are born in your herd and in your flock: you must not work your firstling ox or shear your firstling sheep.

lifne Adonai elohekha tokhelennu shanah veshanah bammaqom asher-yivkhar Adonai attah uvetekha

You and your household shall eat it annually before the ETERNAL your God in the place that GOD will choose.

vekhi-yihyeh vo mum pisseakh o ivver kol mum ra lo tizbakhennu la-Adonai elohekha

But if it has a defect, lameness or blindness, any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the ETERNAL your God.

bisharekha tokhelennu hattame vehattahor yakhdav katsevi vekha'ayyal

Eat it in your settlements, the impure among you no less than the pure, just like the gazelle and the deer.

raq et-damo lo tokhel al-ha'arets tishpekhennu kammayim

Only you must not partake of its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.