Exodus 21

1 "Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.

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

2 "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

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 comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is 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 gives him a wife and she bears 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 But 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 to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, 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 "If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants 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 doesn't please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, seeing he has 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 If he marries her to 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 takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

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

11 If he doesn't do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

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

12 "One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.

13 but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where 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 If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my 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 "Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.

16 "Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his possession, 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 "Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.

18 "If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn't die, but is confined to 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 rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is 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 "If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a staff, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be 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 gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

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 fight and strike a pregnant woman so that her child is born prematurely, but there is no injury, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman's husband demands and the judges allow.

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 But if there is injury, then you must take 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, and bruise for bruise.

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

26 "If a man strikes his servant's eye, or his maid's eye, and destroys it, 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 If he strikes out his male servant's tooth, or his female servant'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 a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

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 bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also 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 a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on 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 it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

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

32 If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, 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 "If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn't cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

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. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

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

35 "If one man's bull injures another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.

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 is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal 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.”