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The Fifth Book of Moses: Called Deuteronomy, Chapter 15
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1 |
At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
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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.
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3 |
Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is
thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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:
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8 |
But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt
surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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13 |
And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let
him go away empty:
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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.
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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.
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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;
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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23 |
Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it
upon the ground as water.
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