Exodus 21
1 “Here are some [other] instructions to give to [the Israeli people]:
“These are the regulations you are to present to them:
2 When/If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for [only] six years. In the seventh year you must free him [from being your slave], and he is not required to pay you anything [for setting him free].
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 was not married before he became your slave, and if he marries [someone while he is your slave], his wife is not to be set free [with him]. But if he was married before he became your slave, you must free both him and his wife.
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 a slave’s master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters [while her husband is a slave], only the man is to be freed. His wife and children will continue to be slaves of their master.
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 when it is time for the slave to be set free, if the slave says, ‘I love my master and my wife and my children, and I do not want to be set 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 must take him to [the place where they worship] God (OR, to [the owner’s] house). There he must make the slave stand against the door or the doorpost. Then the master will use an (awl/pointed metal rod) to make a hole in the slave’s ear. Then [he will fasten a tag to the slave’s ear to indicate that] (he will own that slave for the rest of his life/he will own the slave as long as the slave lives).
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 become a slave, she should not be set free [after six years], as the male slaves are.
If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be freed in the same way as male slaves.
8 If the man who bought her wanted her to be his wife, but if [later] he is not pleased with her, he must sell her back to her father. He must not sell her to a foreigner, because that would be breaking the contract/agreement [he made with the girl’s father].
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 the man who buys her wants her to be a wife for his son, he must then treat her as though she were his own daughter.
If he chooses to give her to his son, he must treat her as a daughter.
10 If the master takes another slave girl to be another wife for himself, he must continue to give the first slave wife the same amount of food and clothing that he gave to her before, and he must continue to have sex [EUP] with her as before.
If he takes another woman, he must not reduce the food and clothing allowances and marital rights of the first.
11 If he does not do all these three things for her, he must free her [from being a slave], and she is not required to pay anything [for being set free].
If he doesn't give her these three things, she is free to leave without paying anything.
12 You must execute anyone who strikes another person with the result that the person who is struck dies.
Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.
13 But if the one who struck the other did not intend to kill that person, the one who struck him can escape to a place that I will choose for you, [and he will be safe there].
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 someone gets angry with another person and kills him, even if the murderer runs to the altar, [a place that God designated as a place to be safe], you must execute him.
But if someone deliberately plans and purposely kills another, you must take them away from my altar and execute them.
15 Anyone who strikes his father or mother must surely be executed.
Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.
16 Anyone who kidnaps another person, either in order to sell that person or to keep him as a slave, must be executed.
Anyone who kidnaps someone else must be executed, whether the victim is sold or is still in their possessions.
17 Anyone who reviles/curses his father or his mother must be executed.
Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.
18 Suppose two people fight, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist. And suppose the person he strikes does not die but is injured and has to stay in bed [for a while],
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 and later he is able to walk outside using a cane. Then the person who struck him does not have to be punished. However, he must pay the injured person the money he could not earn [while he was recovering], and he must also pay the injured person’s medical expenses until that person is well.
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 someone strikes his male or female slave with a stick, if the slave dies (immediately/as a result) [IDM], the one who struck him must be punished.
Anyone who hits their male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies as a result, must be punished.
21 But if the slave lives for a day or two after he is struck [and then dies], you must not punish the one who struck him. Not having that slave to be able to work for him any longer is enough punishment.
However, if after a day or two the slave gets better, the owner won't be punished because the slave is their property.
22 Suppose two people are fighting and they hurt a pregnant woman with the result that (she has a miscarriage/her baby is born prematurely and dies). If the woman is not harmed in any other way, the one who injured her must pay a fine. He must pay whatever the woman’s husband demands, after a judge approves of the fine.
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 the woman is injured in some additional way, the one who injured her must be caused to suffer in exactly the same way [that he caused her to suffer]. If she dies, he must be executed.
But if a serious injury does occur, then you must pay a life for a life,
24 If her eye is injured or destroyed, or if he knocks out one of her teeth, or her hand or foot is injured, or if she is burned or bruised, the one who injured her must be injured in the same way.
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise.
26 If the owner of a slave strikes the eye of his male or female slave and ruins it, he must free that slave because of [what he did to] the slave’s eye.
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 someone knocks out one of his slave’s teeth, he must free the slave because of [what he did to] the slave’s tooth.
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 woman with the result that the person dies, you [must kill the bull by] throwing stones at it, but you must not punish the owner of the bull.
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 suppose the bull had attacked people several times before, and its owner had been warned, but he did not keep the bull inside a fence. Then you [must kill the bull by] throwing stones at it, but you must also execute its owner.
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 However, if the owner of the bull is allowed to pay a fine (to save his own life/in order not to be executed), he must pay the full amount that the judges say that he must pay.
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 If someone’s bull attacks and gores another person’s son or daughter, you must treat the bull’s owner according to that same rule.
If the ox uses its horns and kills a son or a daughter the same rule is applicable.
32 If a bull attacks and gores a male or female slave, its owner must pay to the slave’s owner 30 pieces of silver. Then you must [kill the bull by] throwing stones at it.
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 Suppose someone has a pit/cistern and does not keep it covered, and someone’s bull or donkey falls into it [and dies].
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 Then the owner of the pit/cistern must pay for the animal that died. He must give the money to the animal’s owner, but then he can take away the animal that died and [do whatever he wants to with it].
the owner of the pit must pay compensation to the animal's owner and keep the dead animal.
35 If someone’s bull hurts another person’s bull with the result that it dies, the owners of both bulls must sell the bull that is living, and they must divide [between them] the money [that they receive] for it. They must also divide [between them the meat of] the animal that died.
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 However, if people know that the bull often attacked other animals previously, and its owner did not keep it inside a fence, then the owner of that bull must give the owner of the bull that died one of his own bulls, but he can take away the animal that died [and do with it whatever he wants to do].”
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.”
