Exodus 22
1 si quis furatus fuerit bovem aut ovem et occiderit vel vendiderit quinque boves pro uno bove restituet et quattuor oves pro una ove
Yahweh also said, “If someone steals a bull or a sheep, and then slaughters it [to sell it or to sacrifice it] or sells its [meat to someone else], he must pay five bulls for the bull [that he stole], and [he must pay] four sheep for the sheep [that he stole].
2 si effringens fur domum sive suffodiens fuerit inventus et accepto vulnere mortuus fuerit percussor non erit reus sanguinis
If a thief is caught while he is breaking into someone else’s house [at night], if [the one who catches him] kills the thief, he is not guilty of murdering him.
3 quod si orto sole hoc fecerit homicidium perpetravit et ipse morietur si non habuerit quod pro furto reddat venundabitur
But if that happens during the daytime, [the one who killed the thief] is guilty of murdering him. The thief must pay for what he stole. If he has no [animals with which to pay for the one that he stole], he must be sold to [become someone’s else’s slave and the money must be used] to pay for what he stole.
4 si inventum fuerit apud eum quod furatus est vivens sive bos sive asinus sive ovis duplum restituet
If the thief still has the animal when he is caught, whether it is a bull or a donkey or a sheep, and it is still alive, the thief must give back [the stolen animal as well as giving] two [additional] animals for each one that he stole.
5 si laeserit quispiam agrum vel vineam et dimiserit iumentum suum ut depascatur aliena quicquid optimum habuerit in agro suo vel in vinea pro damni aestimatione restituet
If someone allows his animals to (graze/eat the grass) in his field or in his vineyard, and if they stray away and eat the crops in another person’s field, the owner of the animals must pay [the owner of those crops] by giving him the best crops from his own field or vineyard.
6 si egressus ignis invenerit spinas et conprehenderit acervos frugum sive stantes segetes in agris reddet damnum qui ignem succenderit
Suppose someone starts a fire in his own field, and the fire spreads through the grass and starts burning in someone else’s field, and the fire burns grain that is growing or grain that is already [cut and] stacked. Then the person who started the fire must pay completely for the damage.
7 si quis commendaverit amico pecuniam aut vas in custodiam et ab eo qui susceperat furto ablata fuerint si invenitur fur duplum reddet
Suppose someone gives to another person some money or other valuable goods and asks him to guard them [in his house for a while]. If those things are stolen from that person’s house, if the thief is caught, he must pay back twice [as much as he stole].
8 si latet dominus domus adplicabitur ad deos et iurabit quod non extenderit manum in rem proximi sui
But if the thief is not caught, the owner of the house [from which the things were stolen] must stand before the judges, so that the judges can determine whether [the owner of the house] was the one who took the other man’s goods [and sold them to someone else].
9 ad perpetrandam fraudem tam in bove quam in asino et ove ac vestimento et quicquid damnum inferre potest ad deos utriusque causa perveniet et si illi iudicaverint duplum restituet proximo suo
If two people argue about which one of them owns a bull or a donkey or a sheep or some clothing, or something else that has been lost, the two people who each claim/say that the item belongs to them must stand before the judges. The one whom the judges declare is lying must pay back [to the real owner] twice as many bulls or donkeys or sheep or pieces of clothing.
10 si quis commendaverit proximo suo asinum bovem ovem et omne iumentum ad custodiam et mortuum fuerit aut debilitatum vel captum ab hostibus nullusque hoc viderit
Suppose someone gives his donkey or bull or sheep or some other animal to someone else and asks him to take care of it [for a while], and the animal dies or is injured or is stolen while no one is watching.
11 iusiurandum erit in medio quod non extenderit manum ad rem proximi sui suscipietque dominus iuramentum et ille reddere non cogetur
Then the person [who was taking care of the animal] must (swear/solemnly declare), knowing that God is listening, that he did not steal the animal. If he did not steal it the owner of the animal must accept/believe that the other person is telling the truth, and the other person will not have to pay anything back to the owner.
12 quod si furto ablatum fuerit restituet damnum domino
But if the animal was stolen [while he was supposed to be taking care of it], the man who promised to take care of it must pay back the owner for the animal.
13 si comestum a bestia deferet ad eum quod occisum est et non restituet
If [he says that] the animal was killed by wild animals, he must bring back the remains of the animal that was killed and show it to the animal’s owner. If he does that, he will not have to pay anything for the animal.
14 qui a proximo suo quicquam horum mutuo postularit et debilitatum aut mortuum fuerit domino non praesente reddere conpelletur
If someone borrows an animal, and if that animal is hurt or dies when its owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal.
15 quod si inpraesentiarum fuit dominus non restituet maxime si conductum venerat pro mercede operis sui
But if that happens when the owner of the animal is there, the one who borrowed it will not have to pay back anything. If the man who borrowed it only rented it, the money that he paid to rent it will be enough to pay for the animal [dying or being injured].”
16 si seduxerit quis virginem necdum desponsatam et dormierit cum ea dotabit eam et habebit uxorem
“If a man persuades a girl/woman to have sex with him, a girl/woman who (is a virgin/has never had sex with any man) and who is not engaged to be married, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her.
17 si pater virginis dare noluerit reddet pecuniam iuxta modum dotis quam virgines accipere consuerunt
But if her father refuses to allow her to marry him, he must pay to the woman’s father the amount of money that is equal to the amount of bride price money that men pay for virgins.
18 maleficos non patieris vivere
You must execute any woman who (practices sorcery/is a shaman).
19 qui coierit cum iumento morte moriatur
You must execute any person who has sex with an animal.
20 qui immolat diis occidetur praeter Domino soli
You [must offer sacrifices] only to Yahweh. You must execute anyone who offers a sacrifice to any [other] god.
21 advenam non contristabis neque adfliges eum advenae enim et ipsi fuistis in terra Aegypti
You must not mistreat a foreigner [who comes to live among you]. Do not forget that you were previously foreigners in Egypt.
22 viduae et pupillo non nocebitis
You must not mistreat any widow or any orphan.
23 si laeseritis eos vociferabuntur ad me et ego audiam clamorem eorum
If you mistreat them and they cry out to me [for help], I will hear them.
24 et indignabitur furor meus percutiamque vos gladio et erunt uxores vestrae viduae et filii vestri pupilli
And I will be angry with you, and I will cause you to be killed in a war [MTY]. Your wives will become widows, and your children will no longer have fathers.
25 si pecuniam mutuam dederis populo meo pauperi qui habitat tecum non urgues eum quasi exactor nec usuris opprimes
If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest on the money.
26 si pignus a proximo tuo acceperis vestimentum ante solis occasum redde ei
If he gives you his cloak to guarantee [that he will pay the money back], you must give the cloak back to him before the sun goes down,
27 ipsum enim est solum quo operitur indumentum carnis eius nec habet aliud in quo dormiat si clamaverit ad me exaudiam eum quia misericors sum
because he needs it to keep him warm [during the night]. (That is the only covering that poor people have when they sleep at night./What else will he cover himself with during the night?) [RHQ] [If you do not act mercifully toward him by returning his cloak], when he cries out to me asking for my help, I will help him, because I [always act] mercifully.
28 diis non detrahes et principi populi tui non maledices
Do not (revile/speak evil about) me, and do not (curse/ask me to do harmful things to) any ruler of your people.
29 decimas tuas et primitias non tardabis offerre primogenitum filiorum tuorum dabis mihi
(Do not withhold from/Give) me the best parts of the grain that you harvest and of the olive oil and the wine that you produce.
30 de bubus quoque et ovibus similiter facies septem diebus sit cum matre sua die octavo reddes illum mihi
You must dedicate your firstborn sons to me. Similarly, your firstborn [male] cattle and sheep belong to me. After those animals are born, allow them to stay with their mothers for seven days. On the eighth day, offer them to me [as a sacrifice].
31 viri sancti eritis mihi carnem quae a bestiis fuerit praegustata non comedetis sed proicietis canibus
You are people who are (completely dedicated to/set apart for) me. [And I detest] the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Therefore you should not eat such meat. Instead, throw it where the dogs [can eat it].”
