Mose 2 21
1 “Se bubu siwo dzi miawɔ la woe nye:
“Here are some [other] instructions to give to [the Israeli people]:
2 “Ne Hebri ŋutsu aɖe nyi fe le asiwò, mete ŋu xee o, eye wòto esia me zu wò kluvi la, ekema ele be wòasubɔ wò ƒe ade ko. Magaxe fe aɖeke o, ke boŋ azu ablɔɖeme le ƒe adrelia me.
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].
3 “Ne ezu wò kluvi hafi va ɖe srɔ̃ la, ekema eya ɖeka koe azu ablɔɖeme. Ke ne eɖe srɔ̃ hafi va zu wò kluvi la, ekema eya ŋutɔ kple srɔ̃a siaa azu ablɔɖemewo le ŋkeke ɖeka ma dzi.
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.
4 Ke ne aƒetɔ aɖe ɖe srɔ̃ na eƒe kluvi, eye wodzi viŋutsuwo kple vinyɔnuwo la, ekema srɔ̃nyɔnu la kple wo viwo aganye aƒetɔ la tɔ, le esime kluvi la ya azu ablɔɖeme.
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.
5 “Ke ne kluvi la ɖe gbeƒã be, ‘Melɔ̃ nye aƒetɔ, srɔ̃nye kple vinyewo, eya ta nyemedi be mazu ablɔɖeme o’ la,
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,’
6 ekema ele be aƒetɔ la nakplɔe va ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo ŋkume, aŋɔ to nɛ kple nuŋɔnui le amewo ŋkume, ekema azu kluvi azɔ tegbetegbe.
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).
7 “Ne fofo aɖe dzra via nyɔnu wòzu kosi la, mazu ablɔɖeme le ƒe ade megbe abe ŋutsuwo ene o.
If a man sells his daughter to become a slave, she should not be set free [after six years], as the male slaves are.
8 Ne kosi la ƒe nu meganyo eƒe aƒetɔ ŋu o la, ekema aƒetɔ la ate ŋu ana ame bubu naƒlee. Ke aƒetɔ la mekpɔ mɔ adzra kosi la na dukɔ bubu me tɔwo o, elabena eda vo ɖe kosi la ŋu le esime megadi be wòaganye ye srɔ̃ o ta.
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].
9 Ne aƒetɔ la na eya ŋutɔ Via ŋutsu ɖe Hebri kosi aɖe la, ekema magabu nyɔnu la abe kosi ene o, ke boŋ alé be nɛ azɔ abe eya ŋutɔ via nyɔnu ene.
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.
10 Ne aƒetɔ la ŋutɔ ɖe kosi la, eye wògaɖe nyɔnu bubu kpe ɖe eŋu la, mele be wòaɖe kosi la ƒe nuɖuɖu alo nutata dzi akpɔtɔ loo alo agbe egbɔdɔdɔ abe srɔ̃a ene o.
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.
11 Ne ŋutsu la gbe nu etɔ̃ siawo dometɔ ɖeka wɔwɔ la, ekema kosi la kpɔ mɔ adzo, eye maxe fe aɖeke o.”
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].
12 “Ne ame aɖe ƒo ame aɖe sesĩe ale gbegbe be wòku la, ekema ele be woawui.
You must execute anyone who strikes another person with the result that the person who is struck dies.
13 Ke ne amea meɖo be yeawu ame o, gake Mawu ɖe mɔ wòva eme la, ekema mafia teƒe aɖe wòasi ayi, eye wòakpɔ sitsoƒe.
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].
14 Gake ne ame aɖe dze nɔvia dzi kple tameɖoɖo be yeawui la, ekema ne ele nye vɔsamlekpui ŋgɔ gɔ̃ hã la, ele be miahee ado goe, awui.
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.
15 “Ele be woawu ame sia ame si aƒo fofoa alo dadaa.
Anyone who strikes his father or mother must surely be executed.
16 “Ne ame aɖe fi ame la, ele be woawui ne wokpɔ ame si wòfi la le egbɔ loo alo ne edzrae abe kluvi ene xoxo.
Anyone who kidnaps another person, either in order to sell that person or to keep him as a slave, must be executed.
17 “Ele be woawu ame sia ame si ado vlo dadaa alo fofoa alo aƒo fi ade wo dometɔ aɖe.
Anyone who reviles/curses his father or his mother must be executed.
18 “Ne ame eve le avu wɔm, eye ɖeka ƒu kpe nɔvia alo tu kɔe, eye wòwɔ nuvevii wòle be wòatsi aba dzi, gake meku o,
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],
19 ne egate ŋu zɔ emegbe kple atizɔti gɔ̃ hã la, womahe to aɖeke na ame si ƒoe la o, ɖeko woana wòaxe fe ɖe ɣeyiɣi si wògblẽ la ta va se ɖe esime eƒe lãme nasẽ nyuie; ele be wòaxe eƒe dɔdaƒe hã.
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.
20 “Ne ame aɖe ƒo eƒe kluvi alo kosivi wòku ɖe eƒe asi me la, woahe to nɛ kokoko.
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.
21 Ke ne kluvi la alo kosivi la meku le ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo megbe o la, ekema mele be woahe to aɖeke na aƒetɔ la o, elabena eya ŋutɔ tɔe nye kluvi la alo kosi la.
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.
22 “Ne ŋutsu eve le avu wɔm, eye le avu la wɔwɔ me la, avuwɔla ɖeka wɔ nuvevi funɔ aɖe, eye fua gblẽ nɛ, gake meku o la, ekema woana ŋutsu la naxe fe sia fe si funɔ la srɔ̃ abla nɛ, eye ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo alɔ̃ ɖe edzi nɛ.
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.
23 Ke ne nuveviwɔame aɖe ana funɔ la naku la, woawu ame si wɔ nuvevi lae.
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.
24 “Ŋku ɖe ŋku teƒe, aɖu ɖe aɖu teƒe, asi ɖe asi teƒe, afɔ ɖe afɔ teƒe,
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.
25 dzobi ɖe dzobi teƒe, abi ɖe abi teƒe, kabi ɖe kabi teƒe.
26 “Ne ame aɖe ƒo ŋku na eƒe kluvi alo kosi, eye ŋku la tsi la, ekema kluvi la alo kosi la azu ablɔɖeme le eƒe ŋku la ta.
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.
27 Ne aƒetɔ aɖe ŋe aɖu na eƒe kluvi la, ele be wòaɖe asi le kluvi la ŋu le eƒe aɖu si ŋe la ta.
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.
28 “Ne nyi aɖe tu dzo ŋutsu aɖe alo nyɔnu aɖe wòku la, woaƒu kpe nyi la wòaku; womaɖu eƒe lã o, eye womabia nya aɖeke ame si ƒe nyi wònye o.
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.
29 Ke ne amewo nya be nyi la nɔa dzo tum ame, eye wona nyanya nyitɔ la, gake mekpɔ nyi la dzi nyuie o la, ekema ne nyi la wu ame aɖe la, woaƒu kpe nyi la wòaku, eye woawu nyitɔ la hã.
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.
30 Ke ne ƒometɔwo lɔ̃ la, woaxe fe si dzi ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo alɔ̃ ɖo, ekema womagawu nyitɔ la o.
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.
31 “Woazɔ ɖe se sia ke dzi ne nyi aɖe wu ŋutsuvi alo nyɔnuvi.
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.
32 Ke ne nyi la wu kluvi alo kosivi la, ekema woaxe klosalo blaetɔ̃ na kluvi la alo kosi la ƒe aƒetɔ, eye woaƒu kpe nyi la wòaku.
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.
33 “Ne ame aɖe ɖe vudo, metu nu enu o, eye ame aɖe ƒe nyi alo tedzi ge ɖe eme la,
Suppose someone has a pit/cistern and does not keep it covered, and someone’s bull or donkey falls into it [and dies].
34 ekema ame si ƒe vudo wònye la axe fe na nyitɔ ɖe lã la ta, eye lã kuku la azu vudotɔ tɔ.
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].
35 “Ne ame aɖe ƒe nyitsu tu dzo ame bubu ƒe nyitsu wòku la, ekema nyitɔ eveawo adzra nyi gbagbe la, ama ga la, eye woama nyi kuku la hã ƒe lã sɔsɔe.
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.
36 Ke ne amewo nya be nyi la tua dzo nyi bubuwo, eye wona nyitɔ la nya, gake mekpɔ nyi la dzi nyuie o la, ekema nyitɔ la maxɔ ga si wokpɔ tso nyi gbagbe la dzadzra me ƒe ɖeke o, ke boŋ axe fe ɖe nyi kuku la ta, eye wòazu etɔ.”
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].”
