Deuteronomy Chapter 15
Showing all 23 verses for Deuteronomy Chapter 15.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. "
"At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts."
Regular release of debts built mercy directly into the rhythm of society, stopping poverty from hardening into something permanent. Jesus embodies this same spirit of release, announcing liberty and forgiveness as central to His whole mission.
"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. "
"This is how the release works: every creditor must cancel what he lent to his fellow Israelite — he must not demand repayment from his neighbour or brother, because it is declared the LORD's release."
Forgiving what a brother or sister owes mirrors how generously God forgives us. Jesus teaches that mercy we've received is meant to be passed on freely, not hoarded or collected with interest.
"Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; "
"You may collect a debt from a foreigner, but you must cancel whatever your fellow Israelite owes you."
This distinction reflects the special obligation members of a covenant community owed one another, though Jesus later widens who counts as neighbour through the parable of the Good Samaritan, calling us towards greater generosity, not less.
"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: "
"However, there need be no poor among you, for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess —"
God's vision for His people was a community with no poor among them, made possible through generosity and shared obedience, not scarcity or hoarding. Jesus calls us to actively build towards that same vision wherever we have influence.
"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. "
"— if only you carefully listen to the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today."
Blessing here flows from a life tuned to God's voice, not from luck or effort alone. Jesus invites us into that same attentive obedience, trusting that listening to Him opens the door to real provision.
"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. "
"For the LORD your God will bless you as he promised: you will lend to many nations but never need to borrow, and you will rule over many nations, but none will rule over you."
Faithful obedience was meant to bring genuine abundance and influence for good among the nations, not domination for its own sake. Jesus shows that true greatness in His kingdom is found in generous service, not in lording it over others.
"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: "
"If there is a poor person among your people in any of your towns in the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your poor brother."
Jesus warns against a hardened heart towards suffering close by - real faith notices and responds to the poor person right in front of us, not just distant, abstract need.
"But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. "
"Instead, open your hand freely to him and lend him whatever he needs, enough for what is lacking."
Generosity here is measured by the need itself, not by the smallest acceptable minimum. Jesus calls us to give abundantly and without calculation whenever someone genuinely lacks.
"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. "
"Be careful not to harbour the wicked thought, "The seventh year, the year of release, is almost here," and look at your poor brother with resentment and give him nothing — because he could cry out to the LORD against you, and it would be counted as sin against you."
Jesus warns against calculating kindness - withholding help because giving feels inconvenient is itself sin, however reasonably it's dressed up. Real love gives even when the timing costs us something.
"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. "
"Give to him generously, and do not let your heart be resentful when you give, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do and put your hand to."
Give freely and without resentment - God notices a generous, willing heart and blesses it in return. Jesus shows that grudging giving misses the entire point of generosity.
"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. "
"There will always be poor people in the land — so I command you: open your hand freely to your brother, to the poor, and to the needy in your land."
Jesus tells us plainly that poverty won't simply disappear, so generosity must become an ongoing habit of the heart, not a one-off act of charity. His own words about the poor echo this exact truth centuries later.
"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. "
"If a fellow Hebrew, man or woman, sells himself to you and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free."
Even bonded servitude had a built-in expiry date under God's law, protecting people from becoming permanently trapped. Jesus, who came to set captives free, embodies this same pattern of liberation on a far greater scale.
"And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: "
"And when you send him away free, do not send him away empty-handed."
Freedom without provision is hollow - real justice equips a person to actually thrive once released, not just technically walk free. Jesus shows this same generosity, never freeing someone into fresh hardship.
"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. "
"Give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress — whatever the LORD your God has blessed you with, give to him."
Sending a freed servant away liberally, from your own flock and produce, turns a legal release into genuine generosity. Jesus calls us to give from what we've been given, remembering that all provision ultimately comes from God.
"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. "
"Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you — that is why I am giving you this command today."
Remembering our own rescue should shape how we treat others - having been freed ourselves, we're called to free others generously. Jesus calls us to let gratitude for our own redemption overflow into mercy towards those still bound.
"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; "
"But if the servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your household and is well off with you,"
A servant choosing to stay out of love, not compulsion, models something beautiful - devotion freely given rather than forced. Jesus values willing love far above obligated service.
"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. "
"then take an awl and push it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for a female servant."
The pierced ear marked a permanent, freely chosen commitment - a picture of devotion given, not extracted. Jesus shows that the deepest service to Him always flows from love that chooses to stay.
"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. "
"Do not consider it a hardship when you send him away free, because he has been worth twice the value of a hired worker to you during his six years of service — and the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do."
Jesus reframes generosity as no real loss at all - releasing someone freely, after years of faithful labour, is simply right, and God honours it with blessing rather than treating it as sacrifice.
"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. "
"Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male from your herd and flock: do not put the firstborn of your cattle to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep."
The first and best of the flock and herd belonged to God, set apart from ordinary use as a regular reminder that everything begins with Him. Jesus is Himself called the firstborn, the ultimate fulfilment of this pattern of devoted offering.
"Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household. "
"Eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year, at the place the LORD chooses."
A regular, shared meal of worship kept gratitude for God's provision fresh year after year rather than letting it fade into routine. Jesus later institutes a meal of His own for exactly this purpose - to keep remembrance and gratitude alive.
"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. "
"But if it has a defect — if it is lame or blind or has any serious flaw — you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God."
God deserves our best, not our leftovers or damaged goods - what we bring to Him should reflect genuine devotion rather than mere convenience. Jesus, offered without blemish, fulfils exactly what this standard was always pointing towards.
"Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. "
"You may eat it within your own town — both those who are ceremonially unclean and those who are clean may eat it together, just as you would eat gazelle or deer."
Once set apart from formal sacrifice, this meat became ordinary food available to everyone, regardless of ceremonial status - a small early picture of how grace later removes barriers between people.
"Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water. "
"Only you must not eat its blood — pour it out on the ground like water."
This careful reverence for blood, treated as sacred life rather than ordinary food, quietly pointed forward to the ultimate blood that would be poured out for real, lasting redemption. Jesus's own blood, given willingly, fulfils and completes what these ancient rules anticipated.