“ We also promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it. Every seventh year we will let our land rest, and we will cancel all debts owed to us.

这地的居民若在安息日，或什么圣日，带了货物或粮食来卖给我们，我们必不买。每逢第七年必不耕种，凡欠我们债的必不追讨。

这地的民族若在安息日，或什么圣日，带了货物或粮食来卖，我们必不买。每逢第七年必不耕种，凡欠我们债的必不追讨。

这地的民族若在安息日，或什么圣日，带了货物或粮食来卖，我们必不买。每逢第七年必不耕种，凡欠我们债的必不追讨。

如果这地方的居民在安息日或其他圣日带来货物和五谷要卖给我们，我们必不购买。我们每逢第七年必不耕种，也必不追讨债务。

如果这地的外族人带来货物或五谷，在安息日贩卖，我们在安息日或圣日决不向他们买什么；每逢第七年，我们必不耕种田地，并且豁免一切债务。

這地的居民若在安息日，或甚麼聖日，帶了貨物或糧食來賣給我們，我們必不買。每逢第七年必不耕種，凡欠我們債的必不追討。

這地的民族若在安息日，或甚麼聖日，帶了貨物或糧食來賣，我們必不買。每逢第七年必不耕種，凡欠我們債的必不追討。

這地的民族若在安息日，或甚麼聖日，帶了貨物或糧食來賣，我們必不買。每逢第七年必不耕種，凡欠我們債的必不追討。

如果這地方的居民在安息日或其他聖日帶來貨物和五穀要賣給我們，我們必不購買。我們每逢第七年必不耕種，也必不追討債務。

如果這地的外族人帶來貨物或五穀，在安息日販賣，我們在安息日或聖日決不向他們買甚麼；每逢第七年，我們必不耕種田地，並且豁免一切債務。

這地別族之民若在安息之日帶了外貨、就是穀子、來賣，我們在安息日或是任何聖日都決不可向他們買。我們一定要放棄第七年的收穫、以及每一個債主的債權。

如斯土之民於安息日、攜貨物糧食而鬻之、我儕於安息日、或聖日、必不購之、每屆七年、休息土壤、貸金者豁免之、

如異邦人、於安息日、或節期攜貨財食物、欲鬻於我、則我必不可購、七年一休息、不耕穫、貸金者不復索取。

不以我女嫁異邦人、不為我子娶異邦人之女、

“ When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.

“ The people around us will bring goods and grain to sell on the Sabbath day. But we won’t buy anything from them on the Sabbath day. In fact, we won’t buy anything from them on any holy day. Every seventh year we won’t farm the land. And we’ll forgive people what they owe us.

And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day. We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year and will cancel every debt.

As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day; and we will forgo the crops of the seventh year and every debt.

if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.

and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy of them on the sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day. We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year and will cancel every debt.

And[ if] the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell,[ that] we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and[ that] we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

We will not buy on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell on the Sabbath day. We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh year, and we will cancel every loan.

and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

“ Plant and harvest your crops for six years,but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.

“ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.

In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day.Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah— and in Jerusalem at that!So I confronted the nobles of Judah.“ Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked.“ Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day.The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.But I spoke sharply to them and said,“ What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath.Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love.

but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you.

“ No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.

About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews.They were saying,“ We have such large families. We need more food to survive.”Others said,“ We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.”And others said,“ We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes.We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.”When I heard their complaints, I was very angry.After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them,“ You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.At the meeting I said to them,“ We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense.Then I pressed further,“ What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest.You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.”They replied,“ We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised.I shook out the folds of my robe and said,“ If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!” The whole assembly responded,“ Amen,” and they praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.

While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him,“ Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year.For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops,but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year.And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own during its Sabbath. This applies to you, your male and female servants, your hired workers, and the temporary residents who live with you.Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces.

There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.“ But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.“ His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time.‘ Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.“ When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said,‘ You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.“ That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

“ On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you.

“ But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard hearted or tightfisted toward them.Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need.Do not be mean spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.

“ At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money.This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release has arrived.This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites— not to the foreigners living among you.

and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work.For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day.

On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.

That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.

This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day.Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors,

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.

“ Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.You have six days each week for your ordinary work,but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do.

“ Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!”