Exodus 21
1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
“These are the regulations you are to present to them:
2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
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.
3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
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.
4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
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.
5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
However, if the slave formally states, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to be freed,’
6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
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.
7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be freed in the same way as male slaves.
8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
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.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
If he chooses to give her to his son, he must treat her as a daughter.
10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
If he takes another woman, he must not reduce the food and clothing allowances and marital rights of the first.
11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
If he doesn't give her these three things, she is free to leave without paying anything.
12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.
13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
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.
14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
But if someone deliberately plans and purposely kills another, you must take them away from my altar and execute them.
15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.
16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
Anyone who kidnaps someone else must be executed, whether the victim is sold or is still in their possessions.
17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.
18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
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,
19 If he 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.
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.
20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Anyone who hits their male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies as a result, must be punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
However, if after a day or two the slave gets better, the owner won't be punished because the slave is their property.
22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit 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.
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.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
But if a serious injury does occur, then you must pay a life for a life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise.
26 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 his eye’s sake.
Anyone who hits their male or female slave in the eye and blinds them must free the slave as compensation for the eye.
27 And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
Anyone who knocks out the tooth of their male or female slave must free the slave as compensation for the tooth.
28 If an ox 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.
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.
29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
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.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
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.
31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
If the ox uses its horns and kills a son or a daughter the same rule is applicable.
32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
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.
33 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 fall therein;
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,
34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
the owner of the pit must pay compensation to the animal's owner and keep the dead animal.
35 And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
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.
36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
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.”
