Exodus 21

1 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 servant, six years shall he serve thee: 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 With what raiment he came in, with the like let him go out: if having a wife, his wife also 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 But if his master gave him a wife, and she hath borne sons and daughters: the woman and her children shall be her master’s: but he himself shall go out with his raiment.

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

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

6 His master shall bring him to the gods, and he shall be set to the door and the posts, and he shall bore his ear through with an awl: and he shall be his servant 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 If any man sell his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as bondwomen are wont to 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 displease the eyes of her master to whom she was delivered, he shall let her go: but he shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation, if he despise 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 But if he have betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

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

10 And if he take another wife for him, he shall provide her a marriage, and raiment, neither shall he refuse the price of her chastity.

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

11 If he do not these three things, she shall 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 with a will to kill him, shall be put to death.

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

13 But he that did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands: I will appoint thee a place to which he must 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 If a man kill his neighbour on set purpose and by lying in wait for him: thou shalt take him away from my 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 He that striketh his father or mother, shall be put to death.

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

16 He that shall steal a man, and sell him, being convicted of guilt, shall 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 He that curseth his father, or mother, shall die the death.

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

18 If men quarrel, and the one strike his neighbour with a stone or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth 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 again and walk abroad upon his staff, he that struck him shall be quit, yet so that he make restitution for his work, and for his expenses upon the physicians.

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 He that striketh his bondman or bondwoman with a rod, and they die under his hands, shall be guilty of the crime.

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 But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money.

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

22 If men quarrel, and one strike a woman with child, and she miscarry indeed, but live herself: he shall be answerable for so much damage as the woman’s husband shall require, and as arbiters shall award.

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 her death ensue thereupon, he shall render 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 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

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

26 If any man strike the eye of his manservant or maidservant, and leave them but one eye, he shall let them go free for the eye which he put out.

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 Also if he strike out a tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he shall in like manner make them free.

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 If an ox gore a man or a woman, and they die, he shall be stoned: and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

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 was wont to push with his horn yesterday and the day before, and they warned his master, and he did not shut him up, and he shall kill a man or a woman: then the ox shall be stoned, an his 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 And if they set a price upon him, he shall give for his life whatsoever is laid upon 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 If he have gored a son, or a daughter, he shall fall under the like sentence.

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

32 If he assault a bondman or a bond woman, he shall give thirty sicles of silver to their master, 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 If a man open a pit, and dig one, and cover it not, 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 pay the price of the beasts: and that which is dead shall be his own.

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

35 If one man’s ox gore another man’s ox, and he die: they shall sell the live ox, and shall divide the price, and the carcass of that which died they shall part between them:

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 But if he knew that his ox was wont to push yesterday and the day before, and his master did not keep him in: he shall pay ox for ox, and shall take the whole carcass.

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.