Deuteronomy 15:11

9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

12 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.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.
KJV
For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
WEB
For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
ASV
For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy poor, in thy land.
DARBY
For the needy shall never cease from within the land; therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand bountifully unto thy brother, to thy poor and to thy needy, in thy land.
BLB
For the poor will never cease from the midst of the land; upon thus I command you, saying [that] you shall open wide your hand to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy in your land.
ÅB
For fattige kommer det alltid til å være i landet; derfor befaler jeg deg og sier: Du skal lukke opp din hånd for din bror, for de trengende og fattige som du har i ditt land.
OTB
For de fattige vil aldri opphøre å være i landet; derfor befaler jeg deg å åpne din hånd fritt for din bror, for dine trengende og fattige i ditt land.
B1930
For fattige kommer det alltid til å være i landet; derfor byder jeg dig og sier: Du skal lukke op din hånd for din bror, for de trengende og fattige som du har i ditt land.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Mark 14:7

    For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

    Read in context
  • Matthew 26:11

    For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

    Read in context
  • John 12:8

    For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 15:8

    But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

    Read in context
  • 1 John 3:16–18

    Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

    Read in context
  • Acts 4:32–35

    And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

    Read in context
  • Proverbs 22:2

    The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

    Read in context
  • Luke 12:33

    Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

    Read in context