Exodus, 21

1. "These are the rules you shall lay before them.

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

2. When you purchase a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall be given his freedom without cost.

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.

3. If he comes into service alone, he shall leave alone; if he comes with a wife, his wife shall leave with him.

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

4. But if his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall remain the master's property and the man shall leave alone.

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.

5. If, however, the slave declares, 'I am devoted to my master and my wife and children; I will not go free,'

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

6. his master shall bring him to God and there, at the door or doorpost, he shall pierce his ear with an awl, thus keeping him as his slave forever.

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.

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

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

8. But if her master, who had destined her for himself, dislikes her, he shall let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreigner, since he has broken faith with her.

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.

9. If he destines her for his son, he shall treat her like a daughter.

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

10. If he takes another wife, he shall not withhold her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.

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

11. If he does not grant her these three things, she shall be given her freedom absolutely, without cost to her.

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

12. "Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death.

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

13. He, however, who did not hunt a man down, but caused his death by an act of God, may flee to a place which I will set apart for this purpose.

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.

14. But when a man kills another after maliciously scheming to do so, you must take him even from my altar and put him to death.

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.

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

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

16. "A kidnaper, whether he sells his victim or still has him when caught, 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.

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

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

18. "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, not mortally, but enough to put him in bed,

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,

19. the one who struck the blow shall be acquitted, provided the other can get up and walk around with the help of his staff. Still, he must compensate him for his enforced idleness and provide for his complete cure.

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.

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

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

21. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.

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.

22. "When men have a fight and hurt a pregnant woman, so that she suffers a miscarriage, but no further injury, the guilty one shall be fined as much as the woman's husband demands of him, and he shall pay in the presence of the judges.

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.

23. But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life,

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

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

26. "When a man strikes his male or female slave in the eye and destroys the use of the eye, he shall let the slave go free in compensation for the eye.

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.

27. If he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let the slave go free in compensation for the tooth.

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.

28. "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned; its flesh may not be eaten. The owner of the ox, however, shall go unpunished.

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.

29. But if an ox was previously in the habit of goring people and its owner, though warned, would not keep it in; should it then kill a man or a woman, not only must the ox be stoned, but its owner also must be put to death.

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.

30. If, however, a fine is imposed on him, he must pay in ransom for his life whatever amount is imposed on him.

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

31. This law applies if it is a boy or a girl that the ox gores.

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

32. But if it is a male or a female slave that it gores, he must pay the owner of the slave thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.

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.

33. "When a man uncovers or digs a cistern and does not cover it over again, should an ox or an ass fall into it,

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

34. the owner of the cistern must make good by restoring the value of the animal to its owner; the dead animal, however, he may keep.

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

35. "When one man's ox hurts another's ox so badly that it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide this money as well as the dead animal equally between them.

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.

36. But if it was known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner would not keep it in, he must make full restitution, an ox for an ox; but the dead animal he may keep. (v 37) "When a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for the one ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.

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.

37.

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.'