1. At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts.
2. This is what you will do: If you’ve made a loan, don’t collect payment on the debt your neighbor still owes you. Don’t demand that your neighbor or relative pay you, because the ⌊time⌋ for suspending payments on debts has been proclaimed in the Lord’s honor.
3. You may demand that a foreigner pay, but don’t collect payment on the debt another Israelite still owes you.
4. In any case, there shouldn’t be any poor people among you, because the Lord your God will certainly bless you in the land he is giving you as your own possession.
5. He will bless you only if you listen carefully to the Lord your God and faithfully obey all these commands I’m giving you today.
6. The Lord your God will bless you, as he promised. You will make loans to many nations, but you will not have to borrow from any of them. You will rule many nations, but no nation will ever rule you.
7. This is what you must do whenever there are poor Israelites in one of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
8. Be generous to these poor people, and freely lend them as much as they need. Never be hard-hearted and tight-fisted with them.
9. When the seventh year—the year when payments on debts are canceled—is near, you might be stingy toward poor Israelites and give them nothing. Be careful not to think these worthless thoughts. The poor will complain to the Lord about you, and you will be condemned for your sin.
10. Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do.
11. There will always be poor people in the land. That’s why I command you to be generous to other Israelites who are poor and needy.
12. Whenever Hebrew men or women are sold to you as slaves, they will be your slaves for six years. In the seventh year you must let them go free.