Deuteronomy 15:7–18

⁷If anyone is poor^x 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^y toward them. ⁸Rather, be openhanded^z and freely lend them whatever they need. ⁹Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,^a is near,” so that you do not show ill will^b 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.^{c 10}Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;^d then because of this the Lord your God will bless^e you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹There will always be poor people^f in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.^g

Freeing Servants

15:12–18pp—Ex 21:2–6 15:12–18Ref—Lev 25:38–55

¹²If 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.^{h 13}And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. ¹⁴Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floorⁱ and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. ¹⁵Remember that you were slaves^j in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.^k That is why I give you this command today.

¹⁶But 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, ¹⁷then 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.

¹⁸Do 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.