Font Size
Deuteronomy 15
New King James Version
Deuteronomy 15
New King James Version
Debts Canceled Every Seven Years(A)
15 “At the end of (B)every seven years you shall grant a [a]release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall [b]release it; he shall not [c]require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release. 3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4 except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly (C)bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— 5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; (D)you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
Generosity to the Poor
7 “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the [d]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, (E)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but (F)you shall [e]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9 Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your (G)eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and (H)he cry out to the Lord against you, and (I)it become sin among you. 10 You shall surely give to him, and (J)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because (K)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11 For (L)the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall [f]open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’
The Law Concerning Bondservants
12 (M)“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is (N)sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you [g]send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; 14 you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has (O)blessed you with, you shall give to him. 15 (P)You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today. 16 And (Q)if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, 17 then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth (R)a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.
The Law Concerning Firstborn Animals
19 (S)“All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall [h]sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 (T)You and your household shall eat it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord chooses. 21 (U)But if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You may eat it within your gates; (V)the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 15:1 remission
- Deuteronomy 15:2 cancel the debt
- Deuteronomy 15:2 exact it
- Deuteronomy 15:7 towns
- Deuteronomy 15:8 freely open
- Deuteronomy 15:11 freely open
- Deuteronomy 15:13 set him free
- Deuteronomy 15:19 set apart or consecrate
Deuteronomy 15
New American Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 15
New American Standard Bible
The Sabbatical Year
15 “(A)At the end of every seven years you shall [a]grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the regulation for the release of debts: every creditor is to forgive what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not require it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. 3 (B)From a foreigner you may require it, but your hand shall [b]forgive whatever of yours is with your brother. 4 However, there will be no poor among you, since (C)the Lord will certainly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to [c]follow carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. 6 (D)For the Lord your God will have blessed you just as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
7 “If there is (E)a poor person among you, one of your brothers, in any of your [d]towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, (F)you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; 8 but (G)you shall fully open your hand to him, and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks. 9 Be careful that there is no mean-spirited [e]thought in your heart, [f]such as, ‘(H)The seventh year, the year of release of debts, is near,’ and (I)your eye is malicious toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he (J)may cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you. 10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be [g]grudging when you give to him, because (K)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all [h]your undertakings. 11 (L)For the poor will not cease [i]to exist in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall fully open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’
12 “(M)If your fellow countryman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him [j]free. 13 And when you set him [k]free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. 14 You shall give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 And you are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding [l]this of you today. 16 But it shall come about, (N)if he says to you, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is doing well with you, 17 then you shall take an [m]awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant permanently. You shall also do the same to your female slave.
18 “It shall not seem difficult for you when you set him [n]free, because he has given you six years with double the [o]service of a hired worker; so the Lord your God will bless you in whatever you do.
19 “(O)You shall consecrate to the Lord your God all the firstborn males that are born in your herd and in your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 (P)You and your household shall eat it every year before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses. 21 (Q)But if it has any impairment, such as a limp, or blindness, or any serious impairment, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You shall eat it within your gates; (R)the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as (S)a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only (T)you shall not eat its blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 15:1 Lit make
- Deuteronomy 15:3 Lit release
- Deuteronomy 15:5 Lit perform
- Deuteronomy 15:7 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 15:9 Lit word
- Deuteronomy 15:9 Lit saying
- Deuteronomy 15:10 Lit evil
- Deuteronomy 15:10 Lit the putting forth of your hand
- Deuteronomy 15:11 Lit from the midst of
- Deuteronomy 15:12 Lit free from you
- Deuteronomy 15:13 Lit free from you
- Deuteronomy 15:15 Lit this thing
- Deuteronomy 15:17 I.e., a pointed tool
- Deuteronomy 15:18 Lit free from you
- Deuteronomy 15:18 Lit wages
Deuteronomy 15
Amplified Bible
Deuteronomy 15
Amplified Bible
The Sabbatical Year
15 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release (remission, pardon) from debt. 2 This is the regulation for the release: every [a]creditor shall forgive what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not [b]require repayment from his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. 3 You may require repayment from a foreigner, but whatever of yours is with your brother [Israelite] your hand shall release. 4 However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will most certainly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you will listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all these commandments which I am commanding you today. 6 When the Lord your God blesses [c]you as He has promised you, then you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
7 “If there is a poor man among you, one of your fellow Israelites, in [d]any of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not [e]be heartless, nor [f]close-fisted with your poor brother; 8 but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend to him [g]whatever he needs. 9 Beware that there is no wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release (remission, pardon), is approaching,’ and your eye is hostile (unsympathetic) toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing [since he would not have to repay you]; for he may cry out to the Lord against you, and it will become a sin for you. 10 You shall freely and generously give to him, and your heart shall not be resentful when you give to him, because for this [generous] thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. 11 For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor in your land.’
12 “If your fellow Israelite, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you shall set him free [from your service]. 13 When you set him free, you shall not let him go away empty-handed. 14 You shall give him generous provisions from your flock, from your threshing floor and from your wine press; you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 And you shall remember and thoughtfully consider that you were [once] a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you these things today. 16 Now if the servant says to you, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is doing well with you; 17 then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall [willingly] be your servant always. Also you shall do the same for your maidservant.(A)
18 “It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has served you six years with double the service of a hired man; so the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
19 “You shall consecrate (set apart) to the Lord your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock. You shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You and your household shall eat it every year before the Lord your God in the place [for worship] which the Lord chooses. 21 But if it has any defect or injury, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You shall eat it within your [city] gates; the [ceremonially] unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as [if it were] a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 15:2 Lit master of a loan.
- Deuteronomy 15:2 Lit collect.
- Deuteronomy 15:6 Lit according to the word to you.
- Deuteronomy 15:7 Lit one of your gates.
- Deuteronomy 15:7 Lit harden your heart.
- Deuteronomy 15:7 Lit close your hand to.
- Deuteronomy 15:8 Lit sufficient for his need.
Deuteronomy 15
New International Version
Deuteronomy 15
New International Version
The Year for Canceling Debts(A)
15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.(B) 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner,(C) but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless(D) you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow(E) all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.(F)
7 If anyone is poor(G) 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(H) toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded(I) and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(J) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(K) 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.(L) 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(M) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(N) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people(O) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.(P)
Freeing Servants(Q)(R)
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.(S) 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor(T) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves(U) in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.(V) 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.
The Firstborn Animals
19 Set apart for the Lord(W) your God every firstborn male(X) of your herds and flocks.(Y) Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.(Z) 20 Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose.(AA) 21 If an animal has a defect,(AB) is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.(AC) 22 You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer.(AD) 23 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.(AE)
Deuteronomy 15
King James Version
Deuteronomy 15
King James Version
15 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release.
3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
7 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:
8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
9 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.
19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.
20 Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, thou and thy household.
21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God.
22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.