If anyone is poor(A) among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted(B) toward them. Rather, be openhanded(C) and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(D) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(E) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.(F) 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(G) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(H) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people(I) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.(J)

Freeing Servants(K)(L)

12 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.(M) 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor(N) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves(O) in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.(P) That is why I give you this command today.

16 But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17 then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

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If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

16 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;

17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

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35 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor(A) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them(B) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest(C) or any profit from them, but fear your God,(D) so that they may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend them money at interest(E) or sell them food at a profit. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan(F) and to be your God.(G)

39 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.(H) 40 They are to be treated as hired workers(I) or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property(J) of their ancestors.(K) 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,(L) they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly,(M) but fear your God.(N)

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35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.

36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

38 I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:

40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile.

41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

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Psalm 41[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.

41 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

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They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,(A)
    their righteousness endures(B) forever;
    their horn[a] will be lifted(C) high in honor.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.

He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

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27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.

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27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

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