Exodus 21

1 And these [are] the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.

“These are the regulations you are to present to them:

2 If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee, and in the seventh year he shall go forth free for nothing.

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to work for you for six years. But in the seventh year, he is to be freed without having to pay anything.

3 If he should have come in alone, he shall also go forth alone; and if his wife should have gone in together with him, his wife also shall go out.

If he was single when he came, he is to leave single. If he had a wife when he came, she is to leave with him.

4 Moreover, if his master give him a wife, and she have [born] him sons or daughters, the wife and the children shall be his master's; and he shall go forth alone.

If his master provides him a wife and she has children with him, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall be freed.

5 And if the servant should answer and say, I love my master and wife and children, I will not go away free;

However, if the slave formally states, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to be freed,’

6 his master shall bring him to the judgment-seat of God, and then shall he bring him to the door, —to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

then his master is to take him before the judges. Then he shall have him stand against the door or doorpost and use a metal tool to make a hole in his ear. Then he shall work for his master for life.

7 And if any one sell his daughter as a domestic, she shall not depart as the maid-servants depart.

If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be freed in the same way as male slaves.

8 If she be not pleasing to her master, after she has betrothed herself to him, he shall let her go free; but he is not at liberty to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has trifled with her.

If the man who chose her for himself is not pleased with her, he must let her be bought back. He is not permitted to sell her to foreigners, since he has been unfair to her.

9 And if he should have betrothed her to his son, he shall do to her according to the right of daughters.

If he chooses to give her to his son, he must treat her as a daughter.

10 And if he take another to himself, he shall not deprive her of necessaries and her apparel, and her companionship [with him].

If he takes another woman, he must not reduce the food and clothing allowances and marital rights of the first.

11 And if he will not do these three things to her, she shall go out free without money.

If he doesn't give her these three things, she is free to leave without paying anything.

12 And if any man smite another and he die, let him be certainly put to death.

Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.

13 But as for him that did it not willingly, but God delivered him into his hands, I will give thee a place whither the slayer may flee.

However, if it wasn't intentional and God let it happen, then I will arrange a place for you where they can run to and be safe.

14 And if any one lie in wait for his neighbour to slay him by craft, and he go for refuge, thou shalt take him from my altar to put him to death.

But if someone deliberately plans and purposely kills another, you must take them away from my altar and execute them.

15 Whoever smites his father or his mother, let him be certainly put to death.

Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.

16 He that reviles his father or his mother shall surely die.

Anyone who kidnaps someone else must be executed, whether the victim is sold or is still in their possessions.

17 Whosoever shall steal one of the children of Israel, and prevail over him and sell him, and he be found with him, let him certainly die.

Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.

18 And if two men revile each other and smite the one the other with a stone or his fist, and he die not, but be laid upon his bed;

If men are fighting and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist, and the injured man doesn't die but has to stay in bed,

19 if the man arise and walk abroad on his staff, he that smote him shall be clear; only he shall pay for his loss of time, and for his healing.

and then gets up and walks around outside with his walking stick, then the one who hit him won't be punished, Even so, he must still compensate the man for the time lost from his work and make sure that he's completely healed.

20 And if a man smite his man-servant or his maid-servant, with a rod, and [the party] die under his hands, he shall be surely punished.

Anyone who hits their male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies as a result, must be punished.

21 But if [the servant] continue to live a day or two, let not [the master] be punished; for he is his money.

However, if after a day or two the slave gets better, the owner won't be punished because the slave is their property.

22 And if two men strive and smite a woman with child, and her child be born imperfectly formed, he shall be forced to pay a penalty: as the woman's husband may lay upon him, he shall pay with a valuation.

If men who are fighting happen to hit a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely, but no serious injury occurs, he must be fined whatever amount the woman's husband demands and as permitted by the judges.

23 But if it be perfectly formed, he shall give life for life,

But if a serious injury does occur, then you must pay a life for a life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,

25 burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise.

26 And if one smite the eye of his man-servant, or the eye of his maid-servant, and put it out, he shall let them go free for their eye's sake.

Anyone who hits their male or female slave in the eye and blinds them must free the slave as compensation for the eye.

27 And if he should smite out the tooth of his man-servant, or the tooth of his maid-servant, he shall send them away free for their tooth's sake.

Anyone who knocks out the tooth of their male or female slave must free the slave as compensation for the tooth.

28 And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall be clear.

If an ox uses its horns to kill a man or woman, the ox must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox won't be punished.

29 But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner, and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also.

But if the ox has repeatedly hurt people with its horns, and its owner has been warned but still doesn't keep it under control, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned to death and its owner must also be executed.

30 And if a ransom should be imposed on him, he shall pay for the ransom of his soul as much as they shall lay upon him.

But if instead the payment of compensation is required, the owner may buy back his or her life by paying the full amount of compensation demanded.

31 And if [the bull] gore a son or daughter, let them do to him according to this ordinance.

If the ox uses its horns and kills a son or a daughter the same rule is applicable.

32 And if the bull gore a man-servant or maid-servant, he shall pay to their master thirty silver didrachms, and the bull shall be stoned.

If the ox uses its horns and kills a male or female slave, the owner of the ox must pay thirty shekels of silver to the slave's master, and the ox must be stoned to death.

33 And if any one open a pit or dig a cavity in stone, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall in there,

If someone removes the cover of a cistern or digs one and doesn't cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34 the owner of the pit shall make compensation; he shall give money to their owner, and the dead shall be his own.

the owner of the pit must pay compensation to the animal's owner and keep the dead animal.

35 And if any man's bull gore the bull of his neighbour, and it die, they shall sell the living bull and divide the money, and they shall divide the dead bull.

If someone's ox injures another's ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and share money received; they must also share the dead animal.

36 But if the bull be known to have been given to goring in time past, and they have testified to his owner, and he have not removed him, he shall repay bull for bull, but the dead shall be his own.

But if it was known that the ox had repeatedly hurt people with its horns, and its owner had been warned but still didn't keep it under control, full compensation must be paid, ox for ox, but the owner can keep the dead animal.”