Deuteronomy 15:12–18

The Law Concerning Bondservants

^12l“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is ^msold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. ¹³And when you ⁷send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; ¹⁴you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord has ⁿblessed you with, you shall give to him. ^15oYou 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. ¹⁶And ^pif 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, ¹⁷then 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. ¹⁸It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth ^qa double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.