This is the way you must do this: Everyone who has lent money to another Israelite must cancel the debt. He should not ask a fellow Israelite to repay the debt, because the Lord said to cancel debts during that year.
Then the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised. And you will have enough money to make loans to many nations. But you will not need to borrow from anyone. You will rule over many nations. But none of these nations will rule over you.
"When you are living in the land the Lord your God is giving you, there might be some poor people living among you. You must not be selfish. You must not refuse to give help to them.
"Don't ever refuse to help someone simply because the seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near. Don't let an evil thought like that enter your mind. You must never have bad thoughts about someone who needs help. You must not refuse to help them. If you don't help the poor, they might complain to the Lord, and he would consider that a sin.
"So be sure to give to the poor. Don't hesitate to give to them, because the Lord your God will bless you for doing this good thing. He will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.
There will always be poor people in the land. That is why I command you to be ready to help your brother or sister. Give to the poor in your land who need help.
"You might buy a Hebrew man or woman to serve you as a slave. You may keep that person as a slave for six years. But in the seventh year, you must let that person go free.
You must give him some of your animals, grain, and wine. The Lord your God blessed you and gave you plenty of good things. In the same way you must give plenty of good things to your slave.
"But one of your slaves might say to you, 'I will not leave you.' He might say this because he loves you and your family and because he has a good life with you.
Make this servant put his ear against your door and use a sharp tool to make a hole in his ear. This will show that he is your slave forever. You must do this even to the women slaves who want to stay with you.
"Don't regret letting your slave go free. Remember, he served you six years for half of what you would have paid a hired worker. The Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
"All the first male animals born in your herd and flock are special. You must give them to the Lord. Don't use any of these animals for your work and don't cut wool from any of these sheep.
"But if an animal has something wrong with it—if it is crippled or blind or has something else wrong with it—then you must not sacrifice that animal to the Lord your God.
But you may eat the meat from that animal at home. Anyone may eat it— people who are clean and people who are unclean. The rules for eating this meat are the same as the rules for eating gazelles and deer.