New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Deuteronomy 15
2
Have you made a loan to one of your own people? Then forgive what is owed to you. You can't require that person to pay you back. The Lord's time to forgive what is owed has been announced.
Reference
3
You can require someone from another nation to pay you back. But you must forgive your own people what they owe you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 23:20
4
There shouldn't be any poor people among you. The Lord will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you. You will take it over as your own.
Reference
5
The Lord your God will bless you if you obey him completely. Be careful to follow all of the commands I'm giving you today.
6
The Lord your God will bless you, just as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations. But you won't have to borrow from any of them. You will rule over many nations. But none of them will rule over you.
Reference
Blessing
Psalm 37:26
Kingdom
1 Kings 4:21
Ezra 4:20
1 Kings 4:24
Parallel theme
Psalm 37:21
Proverbs 22:7
Luke 6:35
Nehemiah 9:27
Psalm 112:5
7
Suppose there are poor people among you. And suppose they live in one of the towns in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Then don't be mean to them. They are poor. So don't hold back money from them.
Reference
9
Be careful not to have an evil thought in your mind. Don't say to yourself, "The seventh year will soon be here. It's the year for forgiving people what they owe." If you think like that, you might treat your needy people badly. You might not give them anything. Then they might make their appeal to the Lord against you. And he will find you guilty of sin.
Reference
Evil
Matthew 20:15
Proverbs 28:22
Proverbs 23:6
Matthew 15:19
Parallel theme
Exodus 22:23
James 5:9
Job 34:28
References Lord
Jeremiah 17:10
Exodus 3:7
Sin
Deuteronomy 24:15
10
So give freely to those who are needy. Open your hearts to them. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all of your work. He will bless you in everything you do.
Reference
Blessing
Proverbs 22:9
Deuteronomy 14:29
Deuteronomy 24:19
Acts 20:35
Deuteronomy 15:4
Parallel theme
Isaiah 58:10
Isaiah 32:8
References God
Hebrews 13:16
1 Peter 4:11
11
There will always be poor people in the land. So I'm commanding you to give freely to those who are poor and needy in your land. Open your hands to them.
Reference
12
Suppose Hebrew men or women sell themselves to you. If they do, they will serve you for six years. Then in the seventh year you must let them go free.
Reference
13
But when you set them free, don't send them away without anything to show for all of their work.
Reference
14
Freely give them some animals from your flock. Also give them some of your grain and wine. The Lord your God has blessed you richly. Give to them as he has given to you.
15
Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. The Lord your God set you free. That's why I'm giving you this command today.
Reference
References Egypt
Deuteronomy 16:12
16
But suppose your servant says to you, "I don't want to leave you." He loves you and your family. And you are taking good care of him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 40:8
17
Then take him to the door of your house. Poke a hole through his ear lobe into the doorpost. And he will become your servant for life. Do the same with your female servant.
18
Don't think you are being cheated when you set your servants free. After all, they have served you for six years. The service of each of them has been worth twice as much as the service of a hired worker. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
19
Set apart to the Lord your God every male animal among your livestock that was born first to its mother. Don't put that kind of ox to work. Don't clip the wool from that kind of sheep.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 13:2
Deuteronomy 16:14
Deuteronomy 12:17
References Lord
Exodus 13:12
Leviticus 27:26
Numbers 18:15
Numbers 18:17
20
Each year you and your family must eat them. Do it in the sight of the Lord your God at the place he will choose.
Reference
21
Suppose an animal has something wrong with it. It might not be able to see or walk. Or it might have a bad flaw. Then you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
Reference
Sacrifice
Deuteronomy 17:1
22
You must eat it in your own towns. Those who are "clean" and those who are not can eat it. Eat it as if it were antelope or deer meat.
Summary of Deuteronomy 15
Deuteronomy 15 contains instructions to Israel regarding debts, generosity, servants, and the firstborn of their herds and flocks. God’s people were to be concerned about those who fell into poverty and were unable to support themselves. They were commanded to show generosity and to understand that everything came from God.
Instructions concern debts due every seven years and a release of servants. Moses reminds the people that there should be no poor among them if they obeyed the commandments of the Lord their God. The people of Israel were to give generously to those in need since they were to recognize the blessings that came to them from God.
They were commanded not to be selfish with their goods when the seventh year approached. They were to remember that they were to give freely to the poor among them and not to withhold anything. Moses instructs them to open their hand to their needy brother.
Further instructions are given concerning servants. If an Israelite became poor, and sold himself to his neighbor, he was to serve for six years, and in the seventh year, he was to go away free. The servant was to depart empty-handed, but the master was to give him generous gifts of his flocks and grain, and wine.
This was to be a reminder that the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Egypt, and God had brought them out of bondage. They were to treat their servants well, for they were also servants of the Lord.
If a servant chose to remain with his master, it was a matter of the servant’s choice. A ceremony was to take place before the door of the master’s house, and the servant’s ear was to be pierced with an awl, and he was to serve for life. The same applied to female servants.
Instructions concerning the animals include those regarding the firstborn of their herds and flocks. The firstborn of Israel’s animals were to be sanctified to God. They were to bring them to the Lord. If there was a blemish, they were not to sacrifice them to the Lord, but they could eat them as ordinary animals in the cities. They were not to eat the blood but to pour it on the ground as water.
The themes of Israelites’ obligations to God and their responsibilities to the poor run through this chapter of Deuteronomy. The people were reminded of their obligation to God. They were commanded to bring the firstborn of their animals to God. They were to consider everything that came to them as belonging to God. God had blessed them so that they might recognize that everything came from Him.
Deuteronomy 15 also reminds people of their responsibility to the poor. The instructions were not to be selfish with their goods. They were to show generosity to the poor among them and to the stranger in their midst. They were not to take advantage of their wealth and position and were not to be like their pagan neighbors.
The people were to give generously to the poor and to the servants, even when they could benefit from retaining them. Moses knew that people were often thinking of their needs more than the needs of others. He reminded them to be more aware of the good things that God had given them and had brought them into the land of plenty. They were to share with the poor and the stranger. They were to conduct themselves rightly before God and men.
The references to Egypt were reminders that the Lord had brought them out of bondage. They were to show mercy and generosity to those who served them, for they too had been servants in the land of Egypt. Everything that they had, including their animals, herds, flocks, and goods, was a gift from God.
The obligations of the Israelites to God and to their poor neighbors were great. They were commanded not to withhold anything that belonged to God or to those who served them. Debts were to be forgiven, servants were to be freed after six years of service, the poor were to be cared for, and God’s gifts were to be shared with them.
Deuteronomy 15 contains great lessons for God’s people. They were to show mercy and generosity to their poor neighbors, remembering that they too had been poor in the land of Egypt. They were to honor God by bringing the firstborn of their animals to Him. They were to care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger in their midst.
God’s people were to remember that everything came to them from God. They were not to be selfish with their goods but were to treat others as they would want to be treated. These great themes are still important for God’s people today. They were commanded not to keep all that they had for themselves but to share it with those in need. They were to remember that God had brought them into the land of plenty and had blessed them so that they might show mercy and generosity to others.
Instructions concern debts due every seven years and a release of servants. Moses reminds the people that there should be no poor among them if they obeyed the commandments of the Lord their God. The people of Israel were to give generously to those in need since they were to recognize the blessings that came to them from God.
They were commanded not to be selfish with their goods when the seventh year approached. They were to remember that they were to give freely to the poor among them and not to withhold anything. Moses instructs them to open their hand to their needy brother.
Further instructions are given concerning servants. If an Israelite became poor, and sold himself to his neighbor, he was to serve for six years, and in the seventh year, he was to go away free. The servant was to depart empty-handed, but the master was to give him generous gifts of his flocks and grain, and wine.
This was to be a reminder that the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Egypt, and God had brought them out of bondage. They were to treat their servants well, for they were also servants of the Lord.
If a servant chose to remain with his master, it was a matter of the servant’s choice. A ceremony was to take place before the door of the master’s house, and the servant’s ear was to be pierced with an awl, and he was to serve for life. The same applied to female servants.
Instructions concerning the animals include those regarding the firstborn of their herds and flocks. The firstborn of Israel’s animals were to be sanctified to God. They were to bring them to the Lord. If there was a blemish, they were not to sacrifice them to the Lord, but they could eat them as ordinary animals in the cities. They were not to eat the blood but to pour it on the ground as water.
The themes of Israelites’ obligations to God and their responsibilities to the poor run through this chapter of Deuteronomy. The people were reminded of their obligation to God. They were commanded to bring the firstborn of their animals to God. They were to consider everything that came to them as belonging to God. God had blessed them so that they might recognize that everything came from Him.
Deuteronomy 15 also reminds people of their responsibility to the poor. The instructions were not to be selfish with their goods. They were to show generosity to the poor among them and to the stranger in their midst. They were not to take advantage of their wealth and position and were not to be like their pagan neighbors.
The people were to give generously to the poor and to the servants, even when they could benefit from retaining them. Moses knew that people were often thinking of their needs more than the needs of others. He reminded them to be more aware of the good things that God had given them and had brought them into the land of plenty. They were to share with the poor and the stranger. They were to conduct themselves rightly before God and men.
The references to Egypt were reminders that the Lord had brought them out of bondage. They were to show mercy and generosity to those who served them, for they too had been servants in the land of Egypt. Everything that they had, including their animals, herds, flocks, and goods, was a gift from God.
The obligations of the Israelites to God and to their poor neighbors were great. They were commanded not to withhold anything that belonged to God or to those who served them. Debts were to be forgiven, servants were to be freed after six years of service, the poor were to be cared for, and God’s gifts were to be shared with them.
Deuteronomy 15 contains great lessons for God’s people. They were to show mercy and generosity to their poor neighbors, remembering that they too had been poor in the land of Egypt. They were to honor God by bringing the firstborn of their animals to Him. They were to care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger in their midst.
God’s people were to remember that everything came to them from God. They were not to be selfish with their goods but were to treat others as they would want to be treated. These great themes are still important for God’s people today. They were commanded not to keep all that they had for themselves but to share it with those in need. They were to remember that God had brought them into the land of plenty and had blessed them so that they might show mercy and generosity to others.