< Exodus 21 >

1 “Now these are the decrees that you must set before them:
“Maya nĩmo mawatho marĩa ũkũhe andũ a Isiraeli:
2 'If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve for six years, and in the seventh year he will go free without paying anything.
“Ũngĩgũra Mũhibirania arĩ ndungata, agaakũrutĩra wĩra mĩaka ĩtandatũ. No mwaka wa mũgwanja, nĩũkamũrekereria athiĩ, na ndagakũrĩha kĩndũ.
3 If he came by himself, he must go free by himself; if he is married, then his wife must go free with him.
Angĩgooka arĩ wiki, akaarekererio athiĩ arĩ o wiki; no angĩgooka arĩ na mũtumia, makaarekererio mathiĩ marĩ hamwe.
4 If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and he must go free by himself.
Mwathi wa ndungata ĩyo angĩmĩhe mũtumia nake mũtumia ũcio amũciarĩre ciana cia aanake na airĩtu, mũtumia ũcio na ciana ciake magaatuĩka a mwathi ũcio wake, na no ndungata ĩyo ya mũndũ mũrũme ĩkaarekererio ĩthiĩ.
5 But if the servant plainly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,”
“No ndungata ĩyo ĩngĩkaaria, ĩmwĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩnyendete mwathi wakwa, na mũtumia wakwa na ciana na ndikwenda kũrekererio thiĩ,’
6 then his master must bring him to God. The master must bring him to a door or doorpost, and his master must bore his ear through with an awl. Then the servant will serve him for life.
hĩndĩ ĩyo mwathi wa ndungata ĩyo nĩakamĩtwara mbere ya atuithania ciira. Akaamĩtwara mũrango-inĩ, kana hingĩro-inĩ ya mũrango, na amĩtũre gũtũ na mũkuha. Nayo ndungata ĩyo ĩgaatuĩka ya mwathi ũcio matukũ ma muoyo wayo wothe.
7 If a man sells his daughter as a female servant, she must not go free as the male servants do.
“Mũndũ angĩendia mwarĩ agatuĩke ndungata, ndĩkarekererio ĩthiĩ ta ũrĩa ndungata cia arũme ciĩkagwo.
8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he must let her be bought back. He has no right to sell her to a foreign people. He has no such right, since he has treated her deceitfully.
Ĩngĩaga gũkenia mwathi ũrĩa wamĩthuurĩte, no nginya etĩkĩre ndungata ĩyo ĩkũũrwo. Ndarĩ na kĩhooto gĩa kwendia ndungata ĩyo kũrĩ ageni, tondũ nĩagĩte kwĩhokeka harĩ yo.
9 If her master designates her as a wife for his son, he must treat her the same as if she were his daughter.
Angĩmĩũrĩria mũriũ, no nginya amĩtue ta ĩrĩ mwarĩ wake mwene.
10 If he takes another wife for himself, he must not diminish her food, clothing, or her marital rights.
Mũriũ angĩhikia mũtumia ũngĩ, ndakaime ũrĩa wa mbere irio na nguo, na ndakamũime kĩhooto gĩake ta mũtumia wake.
11 But if he does not provide these three things for her, then she can go free without paying any money.
Angĩaga kũmũhingĩria maũndũ maya matatũ-rĩ, akĩrekererio athiĩ, gũtarĩ na mbeeca ikũrĩhwo.
12 Whoever strikes a man so that he dies, that person must surely be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩgũtha mũndũ amũũrage, ti-itherũ o nake no akooragwo.
13 If the man did not do it with premeditation, but instead by accident, then I will fix a place to where he can flee.
No rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ekĩte ũguo atekwenda-rĩ, no gũtuĩke nĩ Ngai ũtũmĩte ũndũ ũcio wĩkĩke, nake mũndũ ũcio nĩakoorĩra kũndũ kũrĩa ngaathuura.
14 If a man willfully attacks his neighbor and kills him according to a cunning plan, then you must take him, even if he is at God's altar, so that he may die.
No mũndũ angĩtũmĩra mawara na oorage mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ akĩendaga-rĩ, mweheriei kĩgongona-inĩ gĩakwa, na mũmũũrage.
15 Whoever hits his father or mother must surely be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩtharĩkĩra ithe kana nyina no nginya ooragwo.
16 Whoever kidnaps a person—whether the kidnapper sells him, or that person is found in his hand—that kidnapper must be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũngĩiya mũndũ ũngĩ na hinya akamwendie, kana o na anyiitwo arĩ nake atanamwendia-rĩ, no nginya ooragwo.
17 Whoever curses his father or his mother must surely be put to death.
“Mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩruma ithe kana nyina no nginya ooragwo.
18 If men fight and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist, and that person does not die, but is confined to his bed;
“Andũ mangĩũgitana na ũmwe aringe ũrĩa ũngĩ na ihiga kana na ngundi na aage gũkua, no akome ũrĩrĩ kwa ihinda-rĩ,
19 then if he recovers and is able to walk about using his staff, the man who struck him must pay for the loss of his time; he must also pay for his complete recovery. But that man is not guilty of murder.
ũcio mũringani ndagacookererwo nĩ mahĩtia angĩkorwo ũrĩa waringĩtwo nĩakehota na etware nja na mũtirima wake. No rĩrĩ, no nginya arĩhe mahinda ma mũndũ ũcio mũtihie marĩa morĩte na one atĩ nĩahona biũ.
20 If a man hits his male servant or his female servant with a staff, and if the servant dies as a result of the blow, then that man must surely be punished.
“Mũndũ angĩhũũra ngombo yake ya mũndũ mũrũme kana ya mũndũ-wa-nja na rũthanju, nayo ngombo ĩyo ĩkue nĩ ihũũra rĩu-rĩ, no nginya aherithio,
21 However, if the servant lives for a day or two, the master must not be punished, for he will have suffered the loss of the servant.
no ndangĩherithio ngombo ĩyo ĩngĩarahũka thuutha wa mũthenya ũmwe kana ĩĩrĩ, tondũ ngombo ĩyo nĩ kĩndũ gĩake.
22 If men fight together and hurt a pregnant woman so that she miscarries, but there is no other injury to her, then the guilty man must surely be fined as the woman's husband demands it from him, and he must pay as the judges determine.
“Andũ mangĩkorwo makĩrũa, maringe mũtumia ũrĩ nda, ahune no ndagĩe na thĩĩna ũngĩ-rĩ, ũrĩa ũmũringĩte nĩakarĩha kĩrĩa gĩothe mũthuuri wa mũtumia ũcio ageetia, igooti rĩetĩkĩria.
23 But if there is serious injury, then you must give a life for a life,
No mũtumia ũcio angĩtihio ũũru, muoyo nĩũrĩhagio na muoyo, na
24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
riitho rĩrĩhagio na riitho, na igego rĩrĩhagio na igego, na guoko kũrĩhagio na guoko, na kũgũrũ kũrĩhagio na kũgũrũ, na
25 a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, or a bruise for a bruise.
ihĩa rĩrĩhagio na ihĩa, na itihia rĩrĩhagio na itihia, naruo rũhara rũrĩhagio na rũhara.
26 If a man hits the eye of his male servant or of his female servant and destroys it, then he must let the servant go free in compensation for his eye.
“Mũndũ angĩgũtha ndungata ya mũndũ mũrũme kana ya mũndũ-wa-nja riitho narĩo rĩthũke-rĩ, no nginya akaarekereria ndungata ĩyo ĩĩthiĩre, ũndũ ũcio ũtuĩke nĩguo irĩhi rĩa riitho.
27 If he knocks out a tooth of his male servant or female servant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.
Na angĩkũũra igego rĩa ndungata ya mũndũ mũrũme kana ya mũndũ-wa-nja, no nginya arekererie ndungata ĩyo ĩĩthiĩre, ũndũ ũcio ũtuĩke nĩguo irĩhi rĩa igego.
28 If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its flesh must not be eaten; but the ox's owner must be acquitted of guilt.
“Ndegwa ĩngĩtheeca mũndũ mũrũme kana mũndũ-wa-nja na rũhĩa akue, ndegwa ĩyo no nginya ĩhũũrwo na mahiga nginya ĩkue, na nyama ciayo itikarĩĩo. No mwene ndegwa ndangĩũrio.
29 But if the ox had a habit of goring in the past, and its owner was warned but did not keep it in, and the ox has killed a man or a woman, that ox must be stoned, and its owner also must be put to death.
No rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ndegwa ĩyo nĩĩmenyerete gũtheeca andũ na rũhĩa, na mwene nĩamenyithĩtio ũhoro ũcio nake akaaga kũmĩhingĩra, nayo ĩcooke yũrage mũndũ mũrũme kana mũndũ-wa-nja-rĩ, ndegwa ĩyo no nginya ĩhũũrwo na mahiga ĩkue, na mwene o nake no nginya ooragwo.
30 If a payment is required for his life, he must pay whatever he is required to pay.
Na rĩrĩ, angĩtuĩka nĩ gwĩtio irĩhi-rĩ, no akũũre muoyo wake na kũrĩha kĩrĩa gĩothe angĩĩtio.
31 If the ox has gored a man's son or daughter, the ox's owner must do what this decree requires him to do.
Watho ũyũ noguo ũrũgamĩrĩire ndegwa ĩngĩtheeca mwanake kana mũirĩtu wa mũndũ na rũhĩa.
32 If the ox gores a male servant or a female servant, the ox's owner must pay thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.
Ndegwa ĩngĩtheeca ngombo ya mũndũ mũrũme kana mũndũ-wa-nja, mwene no nginya arĩhe cekeri mĩrongo ĩtatũ cia betha kũrĩ mwathi wa ngombo ĩyo, nayo ndegwa ĩyo no nginya ĩhũũrwo na mahiga.
33 If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
“Mũndũ angĩkunũra irima, kana enje rĩmwe na aage kũrĩkunĩka, nayo ndegwa kana ndigiri ĩgwe thĩinĩ warĩo,
34 the owner of the pit must repay the loss. He must give money to the dead animal's owner, and the dead animal will become his.
mwene irima rĩu no nginya arĩhe hathara ĩyo; no nginya arĩhe mwene nyamũ, nayo nyamũ ĩyo ĩkuĩte ĩtuĩke yake.
35 If one man's ox hurts another man's ox so that it dies, then they must sell the live ox and divide its price, and they must also divide the dead ox.
“Ndegwa ya mũndũ ĩngĩtihia ndegwa ya mũndũ ũngĩ ĩkue, andũ acio nĩmakendia ndegwa ĩrĩa ĩrĩ muoyo, magayane mbeeca na magayane nyamũ ĩyo ĩkuĩte.
36 But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring in time past, and its owner has not kept it in, he must surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal will become his own.
No rĩrĩ, kũngĩkorwo nĩkũmenyekete atĩ ndegwa ĩyo nĩĩmenyerete gũtheecana na rũhĩa, nake mwene akaaga kũmĩhingĩra-rĩ, no nginya mwene arĩhe, nyamũ ĩrĩhio na nyamũ ĩngĩ, na ĩrĩa ĩkuĩte ĩtuĩke yake.

< Exodus 21 >