Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible

Deuteronomy 15:12

"If your fellow countryman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beneficence;   Fraternity;   Hebrew;   Liberality;   Poor;   Sabbatic Year;   Servant;   Thompson Chain Reference - Benevolence;   Liberality-Parsimony;   Social Duties;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Feast of Sabbatical Year, the;   Liberality;   Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Servant;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Sabbatical year;   Slave;   Women;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Israel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Debtor;   Freedom;   Hebrew;   Poor;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Kings, the Books of;   Loan;   Poor;   Slave;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Economic Life;   Freedom;   Hebrew (Descendent of Eber);   Loan;   Slave/servant;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Debt;   Deuteronomy;   Leviticus;   Poverty;   Sabbatical Year;   Slave, Slavery;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Servant;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Year;   Zedekiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hebrew;   Law in the Old Testament;   Oded;   Pentateuch;   Poverty;   Sabbatical Year;   Salvation;   Slave;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Agrarian Laws;   Hebrew;   Law, Codification of;   Slaves and Slavery;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.
Hebrew Names Version
If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
If your relative who is a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman is sold to you, and he or she has served you six years, then in the seventh year you shall send that person out free.
English Standard Version
"If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
New Century Version
If one of your own people sells himself to you as a slave, whether it is a Hebrew man or woman, that person will serve you for six years. But in the seventh year you must let the slave go free.
New English Translation
If your fellow Hebrew—whether male or female—is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant go free.
Amplified Bible
"If your fellow Israelite, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you shall set him free [from your service].
Geneva Bible (1587)
If thy brother an Ebrewe sell himselfe to thee, or an Ebrewesse, and serue thee sixe yeere, euen in the seuenth yeere thou shalt let him goe free from thee:
Legacy Standard Bible
"If your brother, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall let him go to be free from you.
Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: If any of you buy Israelites as slaves, you must set them free after six years.
Complete Jewish Bible
"If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, he is to serve you for six years; but in the seventh year, you are to set him free.
Darby Translation
If thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, have been sold unto thee, he shall serve thee six years, and in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
"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.
George Lamsa Translation
And if your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and he shall serve you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
Good News Translation
"If any Israelites, male or female, sell themselves to you as slaves, you are to release them after they have served you for six years. When the seventh year comes, you must let them go free.
Literal Translation
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thy brother an Hebrue or Hebruesse be solde vnto the, he shal serue the sixe yeare, in the seuenth yeare shalt thou let him go Fre.
American Standard Version
If thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
Bible in Basic English
If one of your countrymen, a Hebrew man or woman, becomes your servant for a price and does work for you six years, in the seventh year let him go free.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If thy brother an Hebrue sell hym selfe to thee, or an Hebrue woman, and serue thee sixe yeres, in the seuenth yere thou shalt let hym go free from thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, he shall serve thee six years; and in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
King James Version (1611)
And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold vnto thee, and serue thee sixe yeres, then in the seuenth yeere thou shalt let him goe free from thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if thy brother or sister, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, be sold to thee, he shall serve thee six years, and in the seventh year thou shalt send him out free from thee.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must set him free.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne thi brothir an Ebrew man, ethir an Ebrew womman, is seeld to thee, and hath serued thee sixe yeer, in the seuenthe yeer thou schalt delyuere hym fre.
Young's Literal Translation
`When thy brother is sold to thee, a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, and he hath served thee six years -- then in the seventh year thou dost send him away free from thee.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
[And] if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, shall be sold to thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
World English Bible
If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold to you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
New King James Version
"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.
New Living Translation
"If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free.
New Life Bible
"If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he will work for you six years. But you must set him free in the seventh year.
New Revised Standard
If a member of your community, whether a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and works for you six years, in the seventh year you shall set that person free.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When thy brother a Hebrew man (or a Hebrew woman) selleth himself unto thee, then shall he serve thee six years, - and in the seventh year, shalt thou let him go out free from thee;
Douay-Rheims Bible
When thy brother a Hebrew man, or Hebrew woman is sold to thee, and hath served thee six years, in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free:
Revised Standard Version
"If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
THE MESSAGE
If a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman was sold to you and has served you for six years, in the seventh year you must set him or her free, released into a free life. And when you set them free don't send them off empty-handed. Provide them with some animals, plenty of bread and wine and oil. Load them with provisions from all the blessings with which God , your God, has blessed you. Don't for a minute forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and God , your God, redeemed you from that slave world. For that reason, this day I command you to do this.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free.

Contextual Overview

12 "If your fellow countryman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free.13 "And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. 14 "You shall give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. 15 "And you are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding this of you today. 16 "But it shall come about, if he says to you, 'I will not leave you,' because he loves you and your household, since he is doing well with you, 17 then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant permanently. You shall also do the same to your female slave. 18 "It shall not seem difficult for you when you set him free, because he has given you six years with double the service of a hired worker; so the LORD your God will bless you in whatever you do.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 15:1, Exodus 21:2-6, Leviticus 25:39-41, Jeremiah 34:14, John 8:35, John 8:36

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:3 - by himself Job 31:13 - the cause Jeremiah 34:8 - to proclaim Jeremiah 34:9 - Hebrew Colossians 4:1 - give

Cross-References

Genesis 2:21
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
Genesis 15:3
Abram also said, "Since You have given me no son, one who has been born in my house is my heir."
Genesis 15:5
And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
Genesis 15:8
But he said, "Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?"
Genesis 15:9
So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Genesis 15:13
Then God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
Genesis 15:14
"But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.
1 Samuel 26:12
So David took the spear and the jug of water that were at Saul's head, and they left; and no one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone awaken, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.
Job 33:15
"In a dream, a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls on people, While they slumber in their beds,
Acts 20:9
And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychus was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee,.... By others, as by the sanhedrim for theft, for which a man might be sold, but not a woman, as Jarchi observes; but then a father might sell his daughter for an handmaid, if little and under age; and to such cases this law is supposed to refer; see

Exodus 21:2 though a man on account of poverty might sell himself:

and serve thee six years; as he was bound to do, if his master lived so long; if he died before the six years were out, he was obliged to serve his son, but not his daughter, nor his brother, nor his heirs, as the Jewish writers affirm g: then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee; that is, at the end of the sixth, and beginning of the seventh year; see Exodus 21:2.

g Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Kiddushin. c. 1. sect. 2.


 
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