< Exodus 21 >

1 “These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
“Maya nĩmo mawatho marĩa ũkũhe andũ a Isiraeli:
2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.
“Ũngĩgũra Mũhibirania arĩ ndungata, agaakũrutĩra wĩra mĩaka ĩtandatũ. No mwaka wa mũgwanja, nĩũkamũrekereria athiĩ, na ndagakũrĩha kĩndũ.
3 If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.
Angĩgooka arĩ wiki, akaarekererio athiĩ arĩ o wiki; no angĩgooka arĩ na mũtumia, makaarekererio mathiĩ marĩ hamwe.
4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
Mwathi wa ndungata ĩyo angĩmĩhe mũtumia nake mũtumia ũcio amũciarĩre ciana cia aanake na airĩtu, mũtumia ũcio na ciana ciake magaatuĩka a mwathi ũcio wake, na no ndungata ĩyo ya mũndũ mũrũme ĩkaarekererio ĩthiĩ.
5 But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’
“No ndungata ĩyo ĩngĩkaaria, ĩmwĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩnyendete mwathi wakwa, na mũtumia wakwa na ciana na ndikwenda kũrekererio thiĩ,’
6 then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
hĩndĩ ĩyo mwathi wa ndungata ĩyo nĩakamĩtwara mbere ya atuithania ciira. Akaamĩtwara mũrango-inĩ, kana hingĩro-inĩ ya mũrango, na amĩtũre gũtũ na mũkuha. Nayo ndungata ĩyo ĩgaatuĩka ya mwathi ũcio matukũ ma muoyo wayo wothe.
7 And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.
“Mũndũ angĩendia mwarĩ agatuĩke ndungata, ndĩkarekererio ĩthiĩ ta ũrĩa ndungata cia arũme ciĩkagwo.
8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.
Ĩngĩaga gũkenia mwathi ũrĩa wamĩthuurĩte, no nginya etĩkĩre ndungata ĩyo ĩkũũrwo. Ndarĩ na kĩhooto gĩa kwendia ndungata ĩyo kũrĩ ageni, tondũ nĩagĩte kwĩhokeka harĩ yo.
9 And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.
Angĩmĩũrĩria mũriũ, no nginya amĩtue ta ĩrĩ mwarĩ wake mwene.
10 If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
Mũriũ angĩhikia mũtumia ũngĩ, ndakaime ũrĩa wa mbere irio na nguo, na ndakamũime kĩhooto gĩake ta mũtumia wake.
11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.
Angĩaga kũmũhingĩria maũndũ maya matatũ-rĩ, akĩrekererio athiĩ, gũtarĩ na mbeeca ikũrĩhwo.
12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩgũtha mũndũ amũũrage, ti-itherũ o nake no akooragwo.
13 If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
No rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ekĩte ũguo atekwenda-rĩ, no gũtuĩke nĩ Ngai ũtũmĩte ũndũ ũcio wĩkĩke, nake mũndũ ũcio nĩakoorĩra kũndũ kũrĩa ngaathuura.
14 But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
No mũndũ angĩtũmĩra mawara na oorage mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ akĩendaga-rĩ, mweheriei kĩgongona-inĩ gĩakwa, na mũmũũrage.
15 Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩtharĩkĩra ithe kana nyina no nginya ooragwo.
16 Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
“Mũndũ ũngĩiya mũndũ ũngĩ na hinya akamwendie, kana o na anyiitwo arĩ nake atanamwendia-rĩ, no nginya ooragwo.
17 Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩruma ithe kana nyina no nginya ooragwo.
18 If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
“Andũ mangĩũgitana na ũmwe aringe ũrĩa ũngĩ na ihiga kana na ngundi na aage gũkua, no akome ũrĩrĩ kwa ihinda-rĩ,
19 then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.
ũcio mũringani ndagacookererwo nĩ mahĩtia angĩkorwo ũrĩa waringĩtwo nĩakehota na etware nja na mũtirima wake. No rĩrĩ, no nginya arĩhe mahinda ma mũndũ ũcio mũtihie marĩa morĩte na one atĩ nĩahona biũ.
20 If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
“Mũndũ angĩhũũra ngombo yake ya mũndũ mũrũme kana ya mũndũ-wa-nja na rũthanju, nayo ngombo ĩyo ĩkue nĩ ihũũra rĩu-rĩ, no nginya aherithio,
21 However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
no ndangĩherithio ngombo ĩyo ĩngĩarahũka thuutha wa mũthenya ũmwe kana ĩĩrĩ, tondũ ngombo ĩyo nĩ kĩndũ gĩake.
22 If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.
“Andũ mangĩkorwo makĩrũa, maringe mũtumia ũrĩ nda, ahune no ndagĩe na thĩĩna ũngĩ-rĩ, ũrĩa ũmũringĩte nĩakarĩha kĩrĩa gĩothe mũthuuri wa mũtumia ũcio ageetia, igooti rĩetĩkĩria.
23 But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—
No mũtumia ũcio angĩtihio ũũru, muoyo nĩũrĩhagio na muoyo, na
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
riitho rĩrĩhagio na riitho, na igego rĩrĩhagio na igego, na guoko kũrĩhagio na guoko, na kũgũrũ kũrĩhagio na kũgũrũ, na
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
ihĩa rĩrĩhagio na ihĩa, na itihia rĩrĩhagio na itihia, naruo rũhara rũrĩhagio na rũhara.
26 If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.
“Mũndũ angĩgũtha ndungata ya mũndũ mũrũme kana ya mũndũ-wa-nja riitho narĩo rĩthũke-rĩ, no nginya akaarekereria ndungata ĩyo ĩĩthiĩre, ũndũ ũcio ũtuĩke nĩguo irĩhi rĩa riitho.
27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.
Na angĩkũũra igego rĩa ndungata ya mũndũ mũrũme kana ya mũndũ-wa-nja, no nginya arekererie ndungata ĩyo ĩĩthiĩre, ũndũ ũcio ũtuĩke nĩguo irĩhi rĩa igego.
28 If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
“Ndegwa ĩngĩtheeca mũndũ mũrũme kana mũndũ-wa-nja na rũhĩa akue, ndegwa ĩyo no nginya ĩhũũrwo na mahiga nginya ĩkue, na nyama ciayo itikarĩĩo. No mwene ndegwa ndangĩũrio.
29 But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.
No rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ndegwa ĩyo nĩĩmenyerete gũtheeca andũ na rũhĩa, na mwene nĩamenyithĩtio ũhoro ũcio nake akaaga kũmĩhingĩra, nayo ĩcooke yũrage mũndũ mũrũme kana mũndũ-wa-nja-rĩ, ndegwa ĩyo no nginya ĩhũũrwo na mahiga ĩkue, na mwene o nake no nginya ooragwo.
30 If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.
Na rĩrĩ, angĩtuĩka nĩ gwĩtio irĩhi-rĩ, no akũũre muoyo wake na kũrĩha kĩrĩa gĩothe angĩĩtio.
31 If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
Watho ũyũ noguo ũrũgamĩrĩire ndegwa ĩngĩtheeca mwanake kana mũirĩtu wa mũndũ na rũhĩa.
32 If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.
Ndegwa ĩngĩtheeca ngombo ya mũndũ mũrũme kana mũndũ-wa-nja, mwene no nginya arĩhe cekeri mĩrongo ĩtatũ cia betha kũrĩ mwathi wa ngombo ĩyo, nayo ndegwa ĩyo no nginya ĩhũũrwo na mahiga.
33 If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
“Mũndũ angĩkunũra irima, kana enje rĩmwe na aage kũrĩkunĩka, nayo ndegwa kana ndigiri ĩgwe thĩinĩ warĩo,
34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.
mwene irima rĩu no nginya arĩhe hathara ĩyo; no nginya arĩhe mwene nyamũ, nayo nyamũ ĩyo ĩkuĩte ĩtuĩke yake.
35 If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and divide the proceeds; they also must divide the dead animal.
“Ndegwa ya mũndũ ĩngĩtihia ndegwa ya mũndũ ũngĩ ĩkue, andũ acio nĩmakendia ndegwa ĩrĩa ĩrĩ muoyo, magayane mbeeca na magayane nyamũ ĩyo ĩkuĩte.
36 But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.
No rĩrĩ, kũngĩkorwo nĩkũmenyekete atĩ ndegwa ĩyo nĩĩmenyerete gũtheecana na rũhĩa, nake mwene akaaga kũmĩhingĩra-rĩ, no nginya mwene arĩhe, nyamũ ĩrĩhio na nyamũ ĩngĩ, na ĩrĩa ĩkuĩte ĩtuĩke yake.

< Exodus 21 >