Deuteronomy chapter 15
Forgiving debt. Release slaves. Sacrifice firstborn male livestock.
FORGIVING DEBT
VERSE 1. At the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Deuteronomy and from the entire Bible.
you shall cancel debts. This is the kingdom of God!
This command is not ambiguous. Every seven years, by the command of the LORD God, they are required to cancel debts.
In our day, we are not aware of any Christians that put this command from the LORD God into practice.
VERSE 2. This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD’s release has been proclaimed.
every creditor. Nobody was exempt.
VERSE 3. Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.
VERSE 4. However there will be no poor with you (for the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess)
VERSE 5. if only you diligently listen to the LORD your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today.
VERSE 6. For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. You will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
VERSE 7. If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you 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;
you shall not harden your heart. We are commanded to not harden our heart against poor people.
In our day, however, many Christians view poor people as a blight on society. They call them lazy, and despise them.
They disobey this command from the LORD God.
VERSE 8. but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.
VERSE 9. Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your 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.
VERSE 10. You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.
VERSE 11. For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
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I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. People who believe in the LORD God are commanded to help those who are poor or needy.
In our day, however, many Christians view poor people as a blight on society. They call them lazy, and despise them.
They disobey this command from the LORD God.
RELEASE SLAVES
VERSE 12. If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
Slavery was a reality of the ancient world. But it was not to be perpetual. The Hebrew people were commanded to set their slaves free in the seventh year. Read more »
VERSE 13. When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty.
VERSE 14. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.
You shall furnish him liberally. When a slave owner released a slave, he was to weigh the slave down with parting gifts.
VERSE 15. 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 today.
VERSE 16. It shall be, if he tells you, “I will not go out from you,” because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you,
VERSE 17. then 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.
VERSE 18. It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. The LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.
It shall not seem hard to you. The slave owner must not be reluctant to let a slave go free. The slave owner must be eager to let the slave go free.
SACRIFICING FIRSTBORN MALE LIVESTOCK
VERSE 19. You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
VERSE 20. You shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household.
VERSE 21. If it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
VERSE 22. You shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer.
VERSE 23. Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.
DEUTERONOMY
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.