Deuteronomy 15

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 "At the end of every seven-year period you shall have a relaxation of debts,	1 'At the end of every seven years, you must grant remission.
2 which shall be observed as follows. Every creditor shall relax his claim on what he has loaned his neighbor; he must not press his neighbor, his kinsman, because a relaxation in honor of the LORD has been proclaimed.	2 The nature of the remission is as fol ows: any creditor holding a personal pledge obtained from hisfel ow must release him from it; he must not exploit his fel ow or his brother once the latter has appealed toYahweh for remission.
3 You may press a foreigner, but you shall relax the claim on your kinsman for what is yours.	3 A foreigner you may exploit, but you must remit whatever claim you have on your brother.
4 Nay, more! since the LORD, your God, will bless you abundantly in the land he will give you to occupy as your heritage, there should be no one of you in need.	4 There must, then, be no poor among you. For Yahweh wil grant you his blessing in the country whichYahweh your God is giving you to possess as your heritage,
5 If you but heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and carefully observe all these commandments which I enjoin on you today,	5 only if you pay careful attention to the voice of Yahweh your God, by keeping and practising al thesecommandments which I am enjoining on you today.
6 you will lend to many nations, and borrow from none; you will rule over many nations, and none will rule over you, since the LORD, your God, will bless you as he promised.	6 If Yahweh your God blesses you as he has promised, you wil be creditors to many nations butdebtors to none; you wil rule over many nations, and be ruled by none.
7 If one of your kinsmen in any community is in need in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand to him in his need.	7 'Is there anyone poor among you, one of your brothers, in any town of yours in the country whichYahweh your God is giving you? Do not harden your heart or close your hand against that poor brother of yours,
8 Instead, you shall open your hand to him and freely lend him enough to meet his need.	8 but be open handed with him and lend him enough for his needs.
9 Be on your guard lest, entertaining the mean thought that the seventh year, the year of relaxation, is near, you grudge help to your needy kinsman and give him nothing; else he will cry to the LORD against you and you will be held guilty.	9 Do not allow this mean thought in your heart, "The seventh year, the year of remission, is near," andscowl at your poor brother and give him nothing; he could appeal against you to Yahweh, and you would incurguilt!
10 When you give to him, give freely and not with ill will; for the LORD, your God, will bless you for this in all your works and undertakings.	10 When you give to him, you must give with an open heart; for this, Yahweh your God wil bless you inal your actions and in al your undertakings.
11 The needy will never be lacking in the land; that is why I command you to open your hand to your poor and needy kinsman in your country.	11 Of course, there wil never cease to be poor people in the country, and that is why I am giving youthis command: Always be open handed with your brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need andpoor.
12 "If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, sells himself to you, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall dismiss him from your service, a free man.	12 'If your fel ow Hebrew, man or woman, sells himself to you, he can serve you for six years. In theseventh year you must set him free,
13 When you do so, you shall not send him away empty-handed,	13 and in setting him free you must not let him go empty handed.
14 but shall weight him down with gifts from your flock and threshing floor and wine press, in proportion to the blessing the LORD, your God, has bestowed on you.	14 By way of present, you will load his shoulders with things from your flock, from your threshing-floorand from your winepress; as Yahweh your God has blessed you, so you must give to him.
15 For remember that you too were once slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD, your God, ransomed you. That is why I am giving you this command today.	15 Remember that you were once a slave in Egypt and that Yahweh your God redeemed you; that iswhy I am giving you this order today.
16 If, however, he tells you that he does not wish to leave you, because he is devoted to you and your household, since he fares well with you,	16 'But if he says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your household and ishappy with you,
17 you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear into the door, and he shall then be your slave forever. Your female slave, also, you shall treat in the same way.	17 you must take an awl and drive it through his ear into the door and he will be your servant for ever.You must do the same to a female slave.
18 You must not be reluctant to let your slave go free, since the service he has given you for six years was worth twice a hired man's salary; then also the LORD, your God, will bless you in everything you do.	18 'Do not think it hard on you to have to give him his freedom; he is worth twice what a paid servantwould cost you, and has served you for six years. And Yahweh your God wil bless you in everything you do.
19 "You shall consecrate to the LORD, your God, all the male firstlings of your herd and of your flock. You shall not work the firstlings of your cattle, nor shear the firstlings of your flock.	19 'You must consecrate every first-born male from your herd and flock to Yahweh your God. You mustnot put the first-born of your herd to work, or shear the first-born of your flock.
20 Year after year you and your family shall eat them before the LORD, your God, in the place he chooses.	20 You must eat it, you and your household, each year, in the presence of Yahweh your God, in theplace which Yahweh chooses.
21 If, however, a firstling is lame or blind or has any other serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD, your God,	21 If it has any defect, if it is lame or blind -- any serious defect -- you must not sacrifice it to Yahwehyour God.
22 but in your own communities you may eat it, the unclean and the clean eating it alike, as you would a gazelle or a deer.	22 You wil eat it at home, unclean and clean together, as you would gazel e or deer;
23 Only, you shall not partake of its blood, which must be poured out on the ground like water.	23 only, you will not eat its blood, but pour that like water on the ground.'