1 ¶ At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release.

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor who lends anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not demand repayment from his neighbor, or from his brother; because the LORD’S release has been proclaimed.

3 You may demand repayment from a foreigner: but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother;

4 However this will not cause poverty among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives to you to possess as an inheritance:

5 If only you carefully listen to the voice of the LORD your God, to faithfully follow all the commandments that I command you this day.

6 For the LORD your God blesses you, as he promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.

7 If there is among you a poor man of one of your kinsman in any of the towns of your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, or close your hand to your poor brother:

8 But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him what is sufficient for his need, in that which he lacks.

9 Beware that there is not a wicked thought in you, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is near; so that you turn a loveless eye against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cries out to the LORD against you, and it is sin to you.

10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him: because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand to.

11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land: therefore I command you, You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.

12 ¶ And if your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and serves you for six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go away free.

13 And when you send him away free, you shall not let him go away empty:

14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress: you shall give to him of that with which the LORD your God has blessed you.

15 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you: that is why I am now giving you this command.

16 But if your servant says to you, I will not go away from you; because he loves you and your household, because he is well-off with you;

17 Then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear into the door, and he will always be your servant. And you shall do the same to your maidservant.

18 It must not seem hard for you, when you let him go free; for he has served you for six years at half the cost of a hired servant: and the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.

19 ¶ You shall set apart all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and your flock for the LORD your God: you shall not do any work with the firstborn of your herd, or shear the firstborn of your sheep.

20 You and your household shall eat it each year before the LORD your God, in the place which the LORD shall choose.

21 And if there is any blemish in it, such as if it is lame, or blind, or has any bad blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

22 You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as if it were a roebuck, or a hart.

23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground as water.