14. You must give him some of your animals, grain, and wine. The Lord your God blessed you and gave you plenty of good things. In the same way you must give plenty of good things to your slave.
15. Remember, you were slaves in Egypt. And the Lord your God set you free. So that is why I am giving you this command today.
16. “But one of your slaves might say to you, ‘I will not leave you.’ He might say this because he loves you and your family and because he has a good life with you.
17. Make this servant put his ear against your door and use a sharp tool to make a hole in his ear. This will show that he is your slave forever. You must do this even to the women slaves who want to stay with you.
18. “Don’t regret letting your slave go free. Remember, he served you six years for half of what you would have paid a hired worker. The Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
19. “All the first male animals born in your herd and flock are special. You must give them to the Lord. Don’t use any of these animals for your work and don’t cut wool from any of these sheep.
20. Every year you must take these animals to the place the Lord your God will choose. There with the Lord, you and your family will eat these animals.
21. “But if an animal has something wrong with it—if it is crippled or blind or has something else wrong with it—then you must not sacrifice that animal to the Lord your God.
22. But you may eat the meat from that animal at home. Anyone may eat it—people who are clean and people who are unclean. The rules for eating this meat are the same as the rules for eating gazelles and deer.
23. But you must not eat the blood from the animal. You must pour the blood out on the ground like water.