The Seventh Year (Exodus 23:10–13; Leviticus 25:1–7)
1 AKJV At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. BSB BSB: At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
2 AKJV And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lends something to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’s release. BSB BSB: This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.
3 AKJV Of a foreigner you may exact it again: but that which is your with your brother your hand shall release; BSB BSB: You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.
4 AKJV Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it: BSB BSB: There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance,
5 AKJV Only if you carefully listen to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day. BSB BSB: if only you obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commandments I am giving you today.
6 AKJV For the LORD your God blesses you, as he promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. BSB BSB: When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.
Generosity in Lending and Giving (Matthew 6:1–4)
7 AKJV If there be among you a poor man of one of your brothers within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother: BSB BSB: If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
8 AKJV But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wants. BSB BSB: Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.
9 AKJV Beware that there be not a thought in your wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to the LORD against you, and it be sin to you. BSB BSB: Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
10 AKJV You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him: because that for this thing the LORD your God shall bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand to. BSB BSB: Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.
11 AKJV For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land. BSB BSB: For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.
Hebrew Servants (Exodus 21:1–11)
13 AKJV And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty: BSB BSB: And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.
14 AKJV You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your floor, and out of your wine press: of that with which the LORD your God has blessed you you shall give to him. BSB BSB: You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.
15 AKJV And 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 to day. BSB BSB: Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
16 AKJV And it shall be, if he say to you, I will not go away from you; because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you; BSB BSB: But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you,
17 AKJV Then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant for ever. And also to your maidservant you shall do likewise. BSB BSB: then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.
18 AKJV It shall not seem hard to you, when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant to you, in serving you six years: and the LORD your God shall bless you in all that you do. BSB BSB: Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.
Firstborn Animals (Exodus 13:1–16)
19 AKJV All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God: you shall do no work with the firstling of your bullock, nor shear the firstling of your sheep. BSB BSB: You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.
20 AKJV You shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household. BSB BSB: Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.
21 AKJV And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. BSB BSB: But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
22 AKJV You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. BSB BSB: Eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially unclean and clean may eat it as they would a gazelle or a deer.
23 AKJV Only you shall not eat the blood thereof; you shall pour it on the ground as water. BSB BSB: But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.