Tithes

²² Be sure to set aside a tenth^(A) of all that your fields produce each year. ²³ Eat^(B) the tithe of your grain, new wine^(C) and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name,^(D) so that you may learn^(E) to revere^(F) the Lord your God always. ²⁴ But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), ²⁵ then exchange^(G) your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. ²⁶ Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink,^(H) or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.^{(I) 27} And do not neglect the Levites^(J) living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.^(K)

²⁸ At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes^(L) of that year’s produce and store it in your towns,^{(M) 29} so that the Levites (who have no allotment^(N) or inheritance^(O) of their own) and the foreigners,^(P) the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied,^(Q) and so that the Lord your God may bless^(R) you in all the work of your hands.

The Year for Canceling Debts^(S)

15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.^{(T) 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,^(U) 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^(V) you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow^(W) 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.^(X)

⁷ If anyone is poor^(Y) 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^(Z) toward them. ⁸ Rather, be openhanded^(AA) and freely lend them whatever they need. ⁹ Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,^(AB) is near,” so that you do not show ill will^(AC) 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.^{(AD) 10} Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;^(AE) then because of this the Lord your God will bless^(AF) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹ There will always be poor people^(AG) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.^(AH)

Freeing Servants^(AI)(AJ)

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.^{(AK) 13} And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. ¹⁴ Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor^(AL) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. ¹⁵ Remember that you were slaves^(AM) in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.^(AN) 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^(AO) your God every firstborn male^(AP) of your herds and flocks.^(AQ) Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.^{(AR) 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.^{(AS) 21} If an animal has a defect,^(AT) is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.^{(AU) 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.^{(AV) 23} But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.^(AW)

The Passover^(AX)

16 Observe the month of Aviv^(AY) and celebrate the Passover^(AZ) of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. ² Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name.^{(BA) 3} Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction,^(BB) because you left Egypt in haste^(BC)—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.^{(BD) 4} Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening^(BE) of the first day remain until morning.^(BF)

⁵ You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you ⁶ except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary^[a](BG) of your departure from Egypt. ⁷ Roast^(BH) it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. ⁸ For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly^(BI) to the Lord your God and do no work.^(BJ)

The Festival of Weeks^(BK)

⁹ Count off seven weeks^(BL) from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.^{(BM) 10} Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. ¹¹ And rejoice^(BN) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(BO)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites^(BP) in your towns, and the foreigners,^(BQ) the fatherless and the widows living among you.^{(BR) 12} Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,^(BS) and follow carefully these decrees.

The Festival of Tabernacles^(BT)

¹³ Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor^(BU) and your winepress.^{(BV) 14} Be joyful^(BW) at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. ¹⁵ For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy^(BX) will be complete.

¹⁶ Three times a year all your men must appear^(BY) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(BZ) the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.^(CA) No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:^{(CB) 17} Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt^(A) and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

²² Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.^(A)

¹² “Six days do your work,^(A) but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.^(B)

The Sabbath

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹³ “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.^(A) This will be a sign^(B) between me and you for the generations to come,^(C) so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.^(D)

¹⁴ “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;^(E) those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. ¹⁵ For six days work^(F) is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,^(G) holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. ¹⁶ The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,^(H) celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. ¹⁷ It will be a sign^(I) between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.^(J)’”^(K)

²¹ “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest;^(A) even during the plowing season and harvest^(B) you must rest.

²¹ This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath^(A) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. ²² Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.^{(B) 23} Yet they did not listen or pay attention;^(C) they were stiff-necked^(D) and would not listen or respond to discipline.^{(E) 24} But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy^(F) by not doing any work on it, ²⁵ then kings who sit on David’s throne^(G) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.^{(H) 26} People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,^(I) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. ²⁷ But if you do not obey^(J) me to keep the Sabbath^(K) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire^(L) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”^(M)