Exodus 21
1 Haec sunt iudicia quae propones eis.
“These are the regulations you are to present to them:
2 Si emeris servum Hebraeum, sex annis serviet tibi: in septimo egredietur liber gratis.
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 Cum quali veste intraverit, cum tali exeat: si habens uxorem, et uxor egredietur simul.
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 Sin autem dominus dederit illi uxorem, et pepererit filios et filias: mulier et liberi eius erunt domini sui, ipse vero exibit cum vestitu suo.
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 Quod si dixerit servus: Diligo dominum meum et uxorem ac liberos, non egrediar liber:
However, if the slave formally states, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to be freed,’
6 offeret eum dominus diis, et applicabitur ad ostium et postes, perforabitque aurem eius subula: et erit ei servus in saeculum.
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 Si quis vendiderit filiam suam in famulam, non egredietur sicut ancillae exire consueverunt.
If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be freed in the same way as male slaves.
8 Si displicuerit oculis domini sui cui tradita fuerat, dimittet eam: populo autem alieno vendendi non habebit potestatem, si spreverit eam.
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 Sin autem filio suo desponderit eam, iuxta morem filiarum faciet illi.
If he chooses to give her to his son, he must treat her as a daughter.
10 Quod si alteram ei acceperit, providebit puellae nuptias, et vestimenta, et pretium pudicitiae non negabit.
If he takes another woman, he must not reduce the food and clothing allowances and marital rights of the first.
11 Si tria ista non fecerit, egredietur gratis absque pecunia.
If he doesn't give her these three things, she is free to leave without paying anything.
12 Qui percusserit hominem volens occidere, morte moriatur.
Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be executed.
13 Qui autem non est insidiatus, sed Deus illum tradidit in manus eius: constituam tibi locum in quem fugere debeat.
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 Si quis per industriam occiderit proximum suum, et per insidias: ab altari meo evelles eum, ut moriatur.
But if someone deliberately plans and purposely kills another, you must take them away from my altar and execute them.
15 Qui percusserit patrem suum aut matrem, morte moriatur.
Anyone who hits their father or mother must be executed.
16 Qui furatus fuerit hominem, et vendiderit eum, convictus noxae, morte moriatur.
Anyone who kidnaps someone else must be executed, whether the victim is sold or is still in their possessions.
17 Qui maledixerit patri suo, vel matri, morte moriatur.
Anyone who despises their father or mother must be executed.
18 Si rixati fuerint viri, et percusserit alter proximum suum lapide vel pugno, et ille mortuus non fuerit, sed iacuerit in lectulo:
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 si surrexerit, et ambulaverit foris super baculum suum, innocens erit qui percusserit, ita tamen ut operas eius, et impensas in medicos restituat.
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 Qui percusserit servum suum, vel ancillam virga, et mortui fuerint in manibus eius, criminis reus erit.
Anyone who hits their male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies as a result, must be punished.
21 Sin autem uno die vel duobus supervixerit, non subiacebit poenae, quia pecunia illius est.
However, if after a day or two the slave gets better, the owner won't be punished because the slave is their property.
22 Si rixati fuerint viri, et percusserit quis mulierem praegnantem, et abortivum quidem fecerit, sed ipsa vixerit: subiacebit damno quantum maritus mulieris expetierit, et arbitri iudicaverint.
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 Sin autem mors eius fuerit subsecuta, reddet animam pro anima,
But if a serious injury does occur, then you must pay a life for a life,
24 oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede,
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
25 adustionem pro adustione, vulnus pro vulnere, livorem pro livore.
a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise.
26 Si percusserit quispiam oculum servi sui aut ancillae, et luscos eos fecerit, dimittet eos liberos pro oculo quem eruit.
Anyone who hits their male or female slave in the eye and blinds them must free the slave as compensation for the eye.
27 Dentem quoque si excusserit servo vel ancillae suae, similiter dimittet eos liberos.
Anyone who knocks out the tooth of their male or female slave must free the slave as compensation for the tooth.
28 Si bos cornu percusserit virum aut mulierem, et mortui fuerint, lapidibus obruetur: et non comedentur carnes eius, dominus quoque bovis innocens erit.
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 Quod si bos cornupeta fuerit ab heri et nudiustertius, et contestati sunt dominum eius, nec recluserit eum, occideritque virum aut mulierem: et bos lapidibus obruetur, et dominum eius occident.
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 Quod si pretium fuerit ei impositum, dabit pro anima sua quidquid fuerit postulatus.
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 Filium quoque et filiam si cornu percusserit, simili sententiae subiacebit.
If the ox uses its horns and kills a son or a daughter the same rule is applicable.
32 Si servum, ancillamque invaserit, triginta siclos argenti domino dabit, bos vero lapidibus opprimetur.
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 Si quis aperuerit cisternam, et foderit, et non operuerit eam, cecideritque bos aut asinus in eam,
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 reddet dominus cisternae pretium iumentorum: quod autem mortuum est, ipsius erit.
the owner of the pit must pay compensation to the animal's owner and keep the dead animal.
35 Si bos alienus bovem alterius vulneraverit, et ille mortuus fuerit: vendent bovem vivum, et divident pretium, cadaver autem mortui inter se dispertient.
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 Sin autem sciebat quod bos cornupeta esset ab heri et nudiustertius, et non custodivit eum dominus suus: reddet bovem pro bove, et cadaver integrum accipiet.
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.”
