Deuteronomy 15:17 - Revised Version with Apocrypha 1895

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

Then take an awl and pierce his ear through to the door, and he shall be your servant always. And also to your bondwoman you shall do likewise.

American Standard Version (1901)

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise.

Common English Bible

then you may take a needle and pierce his ear with it into the doorframe. From that point on, he will be your permanent servant. Do the same thing for female servants.)

Catholic Public Domain Version

then you shall take an awl and pierce his ear, at the door of your house. And he shall serve you even forever. You shall also act similarly toward your woman servant.

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

Thou shalt take an awl, and bore through his ear in the door of thy house, and he shall serve thee for ever. Thou shalt do in like manner to thy woman-servant also.

Deuteronomy 15:17 Cross References

Exodus 21:5

But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

Exodus 21:6

then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

Deuteronomy 15:16

And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go out from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;

Deuteronomy 15:18

It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou lettest him go free from thee; for to the double of the hire of an hireling hath he served thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

1 Samuel 1:22

But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.