Exodus 21

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

Now these [are] the judgments 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 shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall depart 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 depart by himself: if he was married, then his wife shall depart 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 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 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 shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not depart 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 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 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 shall sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not depart 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 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 If he chooses to give her to his son, he must treat her as a daughter.

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

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

If he shall take him 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 shall not perform these three to her, then shall she depart free without money.

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

He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall be surely 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 a man shall not lie in wait, but God shall deliver [him] into his hand; then I will 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 shall come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from my altar, 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 be surely 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, or if he shall be found in his hand, he 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 contend together, and one shall smite another with a stone, or with [his] fist, and he shall not die, but keep [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 shall rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, 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 shall smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he shall die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

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

Notwithstanding, if he shall continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; 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 shall contend, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit shall depart [from her], and yet no mischief 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 a serious injury does occur, then you must pay a life for a life,

And if [any] mischief shall follow, then thou shalt 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, stripe for stripe.

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 shall smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it shall perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.

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 shall smite out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

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

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 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 shall push a man-servant, or maid-servant; he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, 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 shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass shall fall into it;

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 compensation, [and] give money to the owner of them; 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 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 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.”

Or if it shall be known that the ox hath used 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.