Exodus, 21

1. 'These are the laws you must give them:

1. "Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.

2. 'When you buy a Hebrew slave, his service will last for six years. In the seventh year he will leave a free man without paying compensation.

2. When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.

3. If he came single, he will depart single; if he came married, his wife will depart with him.

3. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and he will depart alone.

4. 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 alone.

5. But if the slave says, "I love my master and my wife and children; I do not wish to be freed,"

5. But if the slave plainly says, `I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,'

6. then his master will bring him before God and then, leading him to the door or the doorpost, his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and the slave will be permanently his.

6. then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for life.

7. If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not leave as male slaves do.

7. "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

8. If she does not please her master who intended her for himself, he must let her be bought back: he has not the right to sell her to foreigners, for this would be a breach of faith with her.

8. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt faithlessly with her.

9. If he intends her for his son, he must treat her as custom requires daughters to be treated.

9. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.

10. If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing or conjugal rights of the first one.

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

11. Should he deprive her of these three things she will leave a free woman, without paying compensation.

11. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

12. 'Anyone who by violence causes a death must be put to death.

12. "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.

13. If, however, he has not planned to do it but it comes from God by his hand, he can take refuge in a place which I shall appoint for you.

13. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.

14. But should any person dare to kill another with deliberate planning, you will take that person even from my altar to be put to death.

14. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him treacherously, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

15. 'Anyone who strikes father or mother will be put to death.

15. "Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

16. Anyone who abducts a person -- whether that person has since been sold or is still held -- will be put to death.

16. "Whoever steals a man, whether he sells him or is found in possession of him, shall be put to death.

17. Anyone who curses father or mother will be put to death.

17. "Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

18. 'If people quarrel and one strikes the other a blow with stone or fist so that the injured party, though not dead, is confined to bed,

18. "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but keeps his bed,

19. but later recovers and can go about, even with a stick, the one who struck the blow will have no liability, other than to compensate the injured party for the enforced inactivity and to take care of the injured party until the cure is complete.

19. then if the man rises again and walks abroad with his staff, he that struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.

20. 'If someone beats his slave, male or female, and the slave dies at his hands, he must pay the penalty.

20. "When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.

21. But should the slave survive for one or two days, he will pay no penalty because the slave is his by right of purchase.

21. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money.

22. 'If people, when brawling, hurt a pregnant woman and she suffers a miscarriage but no further harm is done, the person responsible will pay compensation as fixed by the woman's master, paying as much as the judges decide.

22. "When men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23. If further harm is done, however, you will award life for life,

23. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,

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

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

25. burn for burn, wound for wound, stroke for stroke.

25. burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26. 'If anyone strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys the use of it, he will give the slave his freedom to compensate for the eye.

26. "When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free for the eye's sake.

27. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he will give the slave his freedom to compensate for the tooth.

27. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free for the tooth's sake.

28. 'If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox will be stoned and its meat will not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will not be liable.

28. "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be clear.

29. But if the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and if its owner has been warned but has not kept it under control, then should this ox kill a man or woman, it will be stoned and its owner put to death.

29. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

30. If a ransom is imposed on the owner, he will pay whatever is imposed, to redeem his life.

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

31. If the ox gores a boy or a girl, it will be treated in accordance with this same rule.

31. If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.

32. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, its owner will pay the price -- thirty shekels -- to their master, and the ox will be stoned.

32. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33. 'If anyone leaves a pit uncovered, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox, or donkey falls into it,

33. "When a man leaves a pit open, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it,

34. then the owner of the pit will make good the loss by compensating its owner, and the dead animal will be his.

34. the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.

35. If anyone's ox injures anyone else's ox causing its death, the owners will sell and share the money for it; they will also share the dead animal.

35. "When one man's ox hurts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the price of it; and the dead beast also they shall divide.

36. But if it is common knowledge that the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and its owner has not kept it under control, the owner will repay ox for ox, and will keep the dead animal.

36. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

37. 'If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he will pay back five beasts from the herd for the ox, and four animals from the flock for the sheep.'

37.