Exodus 21

1 And these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

2 If thou buy a Hebrew bondman, six years shall he serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

If thou shalt buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall depart free for nothing.

3 If he came in alone, he shall go out alone: if he had a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.

If he came in by himself, he shall depart by himself: if he was married, then his wife shall depart with him.

4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone.

If his master hath given him a wife, and she hath borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall depart by himself.

5 But if the bondman shall say distinctly, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go free;

And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not depart free:

6 then his master shall bring him before the judges, and shall bring him to the door, or to the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall be his bondman for ever.

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

7 And if a man shall sell his daughter as a handmaid, she shall not go out as the bondmen go out.

And if a man shall sell his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not depart as the male slaves do.

8 If she is unacceptable in the eyes of her master, who had taken her for himself, then shall he let her be ransomed: to sell her unto a foreign people he hath no power, after having dealt unfaithfully with her.

If she shall not please her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

9 And if he have appointed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the law of daughters.

And if he hath betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10 If he take himself another, her food, her clothing, and her conjugal rights he shall not diminish.

If he shall take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

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

And if he shall not perform these three things for her, then shall she depart free without money.

12 He that striketh a man, so that he die, shall certainly be put to death.

He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

13 But if he have not lain in wait, and God have delivered [him] into his hand, I will appoint thee a place to which he shall flee.

And if a man shall not lie in wait, but God shall deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place where he shall flee.

14 But if a man act wantonly toward his neighbour, and slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

But if a man shall come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from my altar, that he may die.

15 And he that striketh his father, or his mother, shall certainly be put to death.

And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall certainly be put to death.

And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he shall be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall certainly be put to death.

And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18 And if men dispute, and one strike the other with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but take to [his] bed,

And if men contend together, and one shall smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he shall not die, but keepeth to his bed:

19 — if he rise, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that struck [him] be guiltless; only he shall pay [for] the loss of his time, and shall cause [him] to be thoroughly healed.

If he shall rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be clear: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

20 And if a man strike his bondman or his handmaid with a staff, and he die under his hand, he shall certainly be avenged.

And if a man shall smite his male or female servant, with a rod, and he shall die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

21 Only, if he continue [to live] a day or two days, he shall not be avenged; for he is his money.

However, if he shall continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

22 And if men strive together, and strike a woman with child, so that she be delivered, and no mischief happen, he shall in any case be fined, according as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and shall give it as the judges estimate.

If men shall contend, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit shall depart from her, and yet no harm follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23 But if mischief happen, then thou shalt give life for life,

And if any harm shall follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

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

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 branding for branding, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 And if a man strike the eye of his bondman or the eye of his handmaid, and it be marred, he shall let him go for his eye.

And if a man shall smite the eye of his male servant, or the eye of his female servant, that it shall perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

27 And if he knock out his bondman's tooth or his handmaid's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth.

And if he shall smite out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

28 And if an ox gore a man or a woman, so that they die, then the ox shall certainly be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be guiltless.

If an ox shall gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be clear.

29 But if the ox have gored heretofore, and it have been testified to its owner, and he have not kept it in, and it kill a man or a woman, — the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

But if the ox was accustomed to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not restrained him, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

30 If there be imposed on him a satisfaction, then he shall give the ransom of his life, according to what is imposed on him.

If there shall be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatever is laid upon him.

31 Whether it gore a son or gore a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done to him.

Whether he hath gored a son, or hath gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done to him.

32 If the ox gore a bondman or a handmaid, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

If the ox shall push a male or female servant; he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 — And if a man open a pit, or if a man dig a pit, and do not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall into it,

And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or a donkey shall fall into it;

34 the owner of the pit shall make it good, shall give money to the owner of them; and the dead [ox] shall be his.

The owner of the pit shall make payment, and give money to the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

35 — And if one man's ox gore his neighbour's ox, and it die, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money thereof, and divide the dead also.

And if one man’s ox shall hurt another’s, that he shall die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

36 Or if it be known that the ox have gored heretofore, and its owner have not kept him in, he shall in any case restore ox for ox; and the dead shall be his.

Or if it shall be known that the ox was accustomed to push in time past, and his owner hath not restrained him; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.