Exodus 21
1 “These are the regulations you are to present to them:
And these are the laws of justice which thou shalt set 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 thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
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 came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he was the husband of a woman, then shall his wife go out 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 should give him a wife, and she bear him sons or daughters: the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out 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,’
And if the servant should plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out 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 shall his master bring him unto the judges, and he shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him till the jubilee.
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 sell his daughter for a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants go out.
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 please not her master, to whom he hath assigned her, then shall he aid her to be redeemed: unto a strange nation he shall have no power to sell her, seeing he hath dealt faithlessly with her.
9 If he chooses to give her to his son, he must treat her as a daughter.
And if he should assign her unto his son, then shall he do unto her after the right of the daughters.
10 If he takes another woman, he must not reduce the food and clothing allowances and marital rights of the first.
If he take himself another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
11 If he doesn't give her these three things, she is free to leave without paying anything.
And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out free, without money.
12 Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall surely 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.
And if he did not lie in wait, but God let it come into his hand, then will I appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
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 come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile, from my altar shalt thou take him, that he may die.
15 Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.
And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
16 Anyone who kidnaps someone else must be executed, whether the victim is sold or is still in their possessions.
And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, and he be found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.
17 Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.
And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely 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,
And if men strive together, and one smite the other with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but keepeth his 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 rise again, and walk abroad upon his crutch, then shall he that smote him be quit; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
20 Anyone who hits their male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies as a result, must be punished.
And if a man smite his servant or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand, it shall be surely avenged.
21 However, if after a day or two the slave gets better, the owner won't be punished because the slave is their property.
Nevertheless, if he continue alive a day or two, it shall not be avenged; for he is his money.
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 strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her children depart from her, and yet no farther mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, [with a fine, ] according as the husband of the woman will lay upon him; and he shall pay this by the decision of the judges.
23 But if a serious injury does occur, then you must pay a life for a life,
And if any mischief follow, then shalt thou give life 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, bruise for bruise.
26 Anyone who hits their male or female slave in the eye and blinds them must free the slave as compensation for the eye.
And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.
27 Anyone who knocks out the tooth of their male or female slave must free the slave as compensation for the tooth.
And if he strike out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for the sake 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 gore a man or a woman, that he die: then shall the ox be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
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 were wont to gore in time past, and warning have been given to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, and he killeth a man or a woman: the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also should of right 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.
But there shall be laid on him a sum of money in atonement, and he shall give the ransom of his life whatsoever may be laid upon him.
31 If the ox uses its horns and kills a son or a daughter the same rule is applicable.
If he gore a son, or gore a daughter, according to this judgment shall be done unto him.
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 ox gore a man-servant or a maid-servant, thirty shekels of silver shall he give to his master, and the ox shall 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,
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 therein:
34 the owner of the pit must pay compensation to the animal's owner and keep the dead animal.
The owner of the pit shall make it good, he shall make restitution in money unto the owner thereof; and the dead beast shall 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 hurt the ox of another, that he die: then shall they sell the live ox, and divide his money; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
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 be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in: he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall belong to him.
