Exodus 21

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

Now these are the laws which you are to put before them.

2 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.

If you get a Hebrew servant for money, he is to be your servant for six years, and in the seventh year you are to let him go free without payment.

3 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.

If he comes to you by himself, let him go away by himself: if he is married, let his wife go away with him.

4 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.

If his master gives him a wife, and he gets sons or daughters by her, the wife and her children will be the property of the master, and the servant is to go away by himself.

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

But if the servant says clearly, My master and my wife and children are dear to me; I have no desire to be free:

6 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.

Then his master is to take him to the gods of the house, and at the door, or at its framework, he is to make a hole in his ear with a sharp-pointed instrument; and he will be his servant for ever.

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

And if a man gives his daughter for a price to be a servant, she is not to go away free as the men-servants do.

8 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.

If she is not pleasing to her master who has taken her for himself, let a payment be made for her so that she may go free; her master has no power to get a price for her and send her to a strange land, because he has been false to her.

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

And if he gives her to his son, he is to do everything for her as if she was his daughter.

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

And if he takes another woman, her food and clothing and her married rights are not to be less.

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

And if he does not do these three things for her, she has the right to go free without payment.

12 Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.

He who gives a man a death-blow is himself to be put to death.

13 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.

But if he had no evil purpose against him, and God gave him into his hand, I will give you a place to which he may go in flight.

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

But if a man makes an attack on his neighbour on purpose, to put him to death by deceit, you are to take him from my altar and put him to death.

15 Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.

Any man who gives a blow to his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.

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

Any man who gets another into his power in order to get a price for him is to be put to death, if you take him in the act.

17 Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.

Any man cursing his father or his mother is to be put to death.

18 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,

If, in a fight, one man gives another a blow with a stone, or with the shut hand, not causing his death, but making him keep in bed;

19 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.

If he is able to get up again and go about with a stick, the other will be let off; only he will have to give him payment for the loss of his time, and see that he is cared for till he is well.

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

If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant blows with a rod, causing death, he is certainly to undergo punishment.

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

But, at the same time, if the servant goes on living for a day or two, the master is not to get punishment, for the servant is his property.

22 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.

If men, while fighting, do damage to a woman with child, causing the loss of the child, but no other evil comes to her, the man will have to make payment up to the amount fixed by her husband, in agreement with the decision of the judges.

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

But if damage comes to her, let life be given in payment for life,

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

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

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

Burning for burning, wound for wound, blow for blow.

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

If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant a blow in the eye, causing its destruction, he is to let him go free on account of the damage to his eye.

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

Or if the loss of a tooth is caused by his blow, he will let him go free on account of his tooth.

28 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.

If an ox comes to be the cause of death to a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned, and its flesh may not be used for food; but the owner will not be judged responsible.

29 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.

But if the ox has frequently done such damage in the past, and the owner has had word of it and has not kept it under control, so that it has been the cause of the death of a man or woman, not only is the ox to be stoned, but its owner is to be put to death.

30 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.

If a price is put on his life, let him make payment of whatever price is fixed.

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

If the death of a son or of a daughter has been caused, the punishment is to be in agreement with this rule.

32 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.

If the death of a man-servant or of a woman-servant is caused by the ox, the owner is to give their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox is to be stoned.

33 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,

If a man makes a hole in the earth without covering it up, and an ox or an ass dropping into it comes to its death;

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

The owner of the hole is responsible; he will have to make payment to their owner, but the dead beast will be his.

35 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.

And if one man's ox does damage to another man's ox, causing its death, then the living ox is to be exchanged for money, and division made of the price of it, and of the price of the dead one.

36 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.”

But if it is common knowledge that the ox has frequently done such damage in the past, and its owner has not kept it under control, he will have to give ox for ox; and the dead beast will be his.