Exodus 21

1 Now these [are] the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:

2 If thou shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall depart free for nothing.

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

3 If he came in by himself, he shall depart by himself: if he was married, then his wife shall depart with him.

If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 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.

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.

5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not depart free:

But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’

6 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.

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 forever.

7 And if a man shall sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not depart as the men-servants do.

“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

8 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.

If she does not 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, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

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

If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.

10 If he shall take him another [wife]; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish.

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

11 And if he shall not perform these three to her, then shall she depart free without money.

If he does not do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

12 He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall be surely put to death.

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

13 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.

but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

14 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.

If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

16 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.

“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

“Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 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:

“If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he does not die, but is confined to bed;

19 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.

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.

20 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.

“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished.

21 Notwithstanding, if he shall continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he [is] his money.

Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.

22 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].

“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.

23 And if [any] mischief shall follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

26 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.

“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.

27 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.

If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let the servant go free for his tooth’s sake.

28 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.

“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

29 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.

But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this 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.

30 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.

If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed.

31 Whether he hath gored a son, or hath gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done to him.

Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

32 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.

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.

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 an ass shall fall into it;

“If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

34 The owner of the pit shall make compensation, [and] give money to the owner of them; and the dead [beast] shall be his.

the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

35 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.

“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.

36 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.

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.