Liber Exodus, 21

1. hæc sunt judicia quæ propones eis

1. These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

2. si emeris servum hebræum sex annis serviet tibi in septimo egredietur liber gratis

2. If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee: in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3. cum quali veste intraverit cum tali exeat si habens uxorem et uxor egredietur simul

3. With what raiment he came in, with the like let him go out: if having a wife, his wife also shall go out with him.

4. sin autem dominus dederit illi uxorem et peperit filios et filias mulier et liberi ejus erunt domini sui ipse vero exibit cum vestitu suo

4. But if his master gave him a wife, and she hath borne sons and daughters: the woman and her children shall be her master's: but he himself shall go out with his raiment.

5. quod si dixerit servus diligo dominum meum et uxorem ac liberos non egrediar liber

5. And if the servant shall say: I love my master and my wife and children, I will not go out free:

6. offeret eum dominus diis et adplicabitur ad ostium et postes perforabitque aurem ejus subula et erit ei servus in sæculum

6. His master shall bring him to the gods, and he shall be set to the door and the posts, and he shall bore his ear through with an awl: and he shall be his servant for ever.

7. si quis vendiderit filiam suam in famulam non egredietur sicut ancillæ exire consuerunt

7. If any man sell his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as bondwomen are wont to go out.

8. si displicuerit oculis domini sui cui tradita fuerit dimittet eam populo autem alieno vendendi non habet potestatem si spreverit eam

8. If she displease the eyes of her master to whom she was delivered, he shall let her go: but he shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation, if he despise her.

9. sin autem filio suo desponderit eam juxta morem filiarum faciet illi

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

10. quod si alteram ei acceperit providebit puellæ nuptias et vestimenta et pretium pudicitiæ non negabit

10. And if he take another wife for him, he shall provide her a marriage, and raiment, neither shall he refuse the price of her chastity.

11. si tria ista non fecerit egredietur gratis absque pecunia

11. If he do not these three things, she shall go out free without money.

12. qui percusserit hominem volens occidere morte moriatur

12. He that striketh a man with a will to kill him, shall be put to death.

13. qui autem non est insidiatus sed Deus illum tradidit in manu ejus constituam tibi locum quo fugere debeat

13. But he that did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands: I will appoint thee a place to which he must flee.

14. si quis de industria occiderit proximum suum et per insidias ab altari meo evelles eum ut moriatur

14. If a man kill his neighbour on set purpose and by lying in wait for him: thou shalt take him away from my altar, that he may die.

15. qui percusserit patrem suum et matrem morte moriatur

15. He that striketh his father or mother, shall be put to death.

16. qui furatus fuerit hominem et vendiderit eum convictus noxæ morte moriatur

16. He that shall steal a man, and sell him, being convicted of guilt, shall be put to death.

17. qui maledixerit patri suo et matri morte moriatur

17. He that curseth his father, or mother, shall die the death.

18. si rixati fuerint viri et percusserit alter proximum suum lapide vel pugno et ille mortuus non fuerit sed jacuerit in lectulo

18. If men quarrel, and the one strike his neighbour with a stone or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

19. si surrexerit et ambulaverit foris super baculum suum innocens erit qui percussit ita tamen ut operas ejus et inpensas in medicos restituat

19. If he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, he that struck him shall be quit, yet so that he make restitution for his work, and for his expenses upon the physicians.

20. qui percusserit servum suum vel ancillam virga et mortui fuerint in manibus ejus criminis reus erit

20. He that striketh his bondman or bondwoman with a rod, and they die under his hands, shall be guilty of the crime.

21. sin autem uno die supervixerit vel duobus non subiacebit pœnæ quia pecunia illius est

21. But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money.

22. si rixati fuerint viri et percusserit quis mulierem prægnantem et abortivum quidem fecerit sed ipsa vixerit subiacebit damno quantum expetierit maritus mulieris et arbitri judicarint

22. If men quarrel, and one strike a woman with child, and she miscarry indeed, but live herself: he shall be answerable for so much damage as the woman's husband shall require, and as arbiters shall award.

23. sin autem mors ejus fuerit subsecuta reddet animam pro anima

23. But if her death ensue thereupon, he shall render life for life.

24. oculum pro oculo dentem pro dente manum pro manu pedem pro pede

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

25. adustionem pro adustione vulnus pro vulnere livorem pro livore

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

26. si percusserit quispiam oculum servi sui aut ancillæ et luscos eos fecerit dimittet liberos pro oculo quem eruit

26. If any man strike the eye of his manservant or maidservant, and leave them but one eye, he shall let them go free for the eye which he put out.

27. dentem quoque si excusserit servo vel ancillæ suæ similiter dimittet eos liberos

27. Also if he strike out a tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he shall in like manner make them free.

28. si bos cornu petierit virum aut mulierem et mortui fuerint lapidibus obruetur et non comedentur carnes ejus dominusque bovis innocens erit

28. If an ox gore a man or a woman, and they die, he shall be stoned: and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

29. quod si bos cornipeta fuerit ab heri et nudius tertius et contestati sunt dominum ejus nec reclusit eum occideritque virum aut mulierem et bos lapidibus obruetur et dominum illius occident

29. But if the ox was wont to push with his horn yesterday and the day before, and they warned his master, and he did not shut him up, and he shall kill a man or a woman: then the ox shall be stoned, an his owner also shall be put to death.

30. quod si pretium ei fuerit inpositum dabit pro anima sua quicquid fuerit postulatus

30. And if they set a price upon him, he shall give for his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

31. filium quoque et filiam si cornu percusserit simili sententiæ subiacebit

31. If he have gored a son, or a daughter, he shall fall under the like sentence.

32. si servum ancillamque invaserit triginta siclos argenti dabit domino bos vero lapidibus opprimetur

32. If he assault a bondman or a bond woman, he shall give thirty sicles of silver to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

33. si quis aperuerit cisternam et foderit et non operuerit eam cecideritque bos vel asinus in eam

33. If a man open a pit, and dig one, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall into it,

34. dominus cisternæ reddet pretium jumentorum quod autem mortuum est ipsius erit

34. The owner of the pit shall pay the price of the beasts: and that which is dead shall be his own.

35. si bos alienus bovem alterius vulnerarit et ille mortuus fuerit vendent bovem vivum et divident pretium cadaver autem mortui inter se dispertient

35. If one man's ox gore another man's ox, and he die: they shall sell the live ox, and shall divide the price, and the carcass of that which died they shall part between them:

36. sin autem sciebat quod bos cornipeta esset ab heri et nudius tertius et non custodivit eum dominus suus reddet bovem pro bove et cadaver integrum accipiet

36. But if he knew that his ox was wont to push yesterday and the day before, and his master did not keep him in: he shall pay ox for ox, and shall take the whole carcass.