Deuteronomy 15:1-3

The Sabbatical Year

1“At the end of ^aevery seven years you shall grant a release. 2And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. 3 ^bOf a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release.

Deuteronomy 15:7-9

7“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, ^cyou shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8but ^dyou shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 9Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your ^eeye look grudgingly ▼

▼Or be evil; also verse 10

on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he ^gcry to the Lord against you, and ^hyou be guilty of sin.

Nehemiah 5:1-13

Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor

1Now there arose ⁱa great outcry of the people and of their wives ^jagainst their Jewish brothers. 2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for ^kthe king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5Now ^lour flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet ^mwe are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

6I was very angry when I heard ⁿtheir outcry and these words. 7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, ^o“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, ^phave bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk ^qin the fear of our God ^rto prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12Then they said, “We will restore these and ^srequire nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and ^tmade them swear ^uto do as they had promised. 13 ^vI also shook out the fold ▼

▼Hebrew bosom

of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” ^xAnd all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Matthew 6:12

12and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 18:27-35

27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and ^yforgave him the debt. 28But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred ^zdenarii, ▼

▼A  denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer

and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ^abAnd should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 ^acAnd in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, ▼

▼Greek torturers

^aeuntil he should pay all his debt. 35 ^afSo also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother ^agfrom your heart.”

James 2:13

13For ^ahjudgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.