Exodus 21
21
Other Laws
1“Here are the laws you must explain to the people of Israel.
Set Your Hebrew Servants Free
2“Suppose you buy a Hebrew servant. He must serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, you must set him free. He does not have to pay anything. 3If he does not have a wife when he comes, he must go free alone. But if he has a wife when he comes, she must go with him. 4Suppose his master gives him a wife. And suppose she has sons or daughters by him. Then only the man will go free. The woman and her children will belong to her master.
5“But suppose the servant says, ‘I love my master and my wife and children. I don’t want to go free.’ 6Then his master must take him to the judges. His master must take him to the door or doorpost of his master’s house. His master must poke a hole through his servant’s earlobe into the door or doorpost. Then he will become his servant for life.
7“Suppose a man sells his daughter as a servant. Then she can’t go free as male servants do. 8But what if the master who has chosen her does not like her? Then he must let the man buy her back. He has no right to sell her to strangers. He has broken his promise to her. 9What if he chooses her to marry his son? Then he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10What if her master marries another woman? He must still give the first one her food and clothes and sleep with her. 11If he does not provide her with those three things, she can go free. She does not have to pay anything.
Laws About Harming Others
12“Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be put to death. 13Suppose they did not do it on purpose. Suppose I let it happen. Then they can escape to a place I will choose. 14But suppose they kill someone on purpose. Then take them away from my altar and put them to death.
15“Anyone who attacks their father or mother must be put to death.
16“Anyone who kidnaps and sells another person must be put to death. If they still have the person with them when they are caught, they must be put to death.
17“Anyone who asks for something bad to happen to their father or mother must be put to death.
18“Suppose two people get into a fight and argue with each other. One hits the other with a stone or his fist. And the person who was hit does not die but has to stay in bed. 19And later that person gets up and walks around outside with a walking stick. Then the person who hit the other person will not be held responsible. But that person must pay the one who was hurt for the time spent in bed. The one who hit the other person must be sure that person is completely healed.
20“Suppose a person beats their male or female slave to death with a club. That person must be punished. 21But they will not be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two. After all, the slave is their property.
22“Suppose some people are fighting and one of them hits a pregnant woman. And suppose she has her baby early but is not badly hurt. Then the one who hurt her must pay a fine. That person must pay what the woman’s husband asks for and the court allows. 23But if someone is badly hurt, a life must be taken for a life. 24An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. A hand must be cut off for a hand and a foot for a foot. 25A burn must be given for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise.
26“Suppose an owner hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it. Then the owner must let the slave go free to pay for the eye. 27Suppose an owner knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave. Then he must let the slave go free to pay for the tooth.
28“Suppose a bull kills a man or woman with its horns. Then you must kill the bull by throwing stones at it. Its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held accountable. 29But suppose the bull has had the habit of attacking people. And suppose the owner has been warned but has not kept it fenced in. Then if it kills a man or woman, you must kill it with stones. The owner must also be put to death. 30But suppose payment is required of him instead. Then the owner can save his life by paying what is required. 31The same law applies if the bull wounds a son or daughter with its horns. 32Suppose the bull wounds a male or female slave. Then the owner must pay the slave’s master about 12 ounces of silver. You must kill the bull with stones.
33“Suppose someone uncovers a pit or digs one and does not cover it. And suppose an ox or donkey falls into it. 34Then the person who opened the pit must pay the animal’s owner for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the person who opened the pit.
35“Suppose someone’s bull wounds a neighbor’s bull and it dies. Then the owner and the neighbor must sell the live one. And they must share the money and the dead animal equally. 36But suppose people knew that the bull had the habit of attacking. And suppose the owner did not keep it fenced in. Then the owner must give another animal to pay for the dead animal. And the dead animal will belong to the owner.
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Exodus 21: NIrV
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Exodus 21
21
The Treatment of Slaves
(Deut 15.12–18)
1“Give the Israelites the following laws: 2#Lev 25.39–46If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay anything. 3If he was unmarried when he became your slave, he is not to take a wife with him when he leaves; but if he was married when he became your slave, he may take his wife with him. 4If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the woman and her children belong to the master, and the man shall leave by himself. 5But if the slave declares that he loves his master, his wife, and his children and does not want to be set free, 6then his master shall take him to the place of worship. There he is to make him stand against the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear. Then he will be his slave for life.
7“If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be set free, as male slaves are. 8If she is sold to someone who intends to make her his wife, but he doesn't like her, then she is to be sold back to her father; her master cannot sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly. 9If a man buys a female slave to give to his son, he is to treat her like a daughter. 10If a man takes a second wife, he must continue to give his first wife the same amount of food and clothing and the same rights that she had before. 11If he does not fulfil these duties to her, he must set her free and not receive any payment.
Laws about Violent Acts
12 #
Lev 24.17
“Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death. 13#Num 35.10–34; Deut 19.1–13; Josh 20.1–9But if it was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe. 14But when anyone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is to be put to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.
15“Whoever hits his father or his mother is to be put to death.
16 #
Deut 24.7
“Whoever kidnaps someone, either to sell him or to keep him as a slave, is to be put to death.
17 #
Lev 20.9; Mt 15.4; Mk 7.10 “Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.
18-19“If there is a fight and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist, but does not kill them, they are not to be punished. If the one who was hit has to stay in bed, but later is able to get up and walk outside with the help of a stick, the one who hit them is to pay for their lost time and take care of them until they get well.
20“If a slave owner takes a stick and beats his slave, whether male or female, and the slave dies on the spot, the slave owner is to be punished. 21But if the slave does not die for a day or two, the master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough.
22“If some men are fighting and hurt a pregnant woman so that she loses her child, but she is not injured in any other way, the one who hurt her is to be fined whatever amount the woman's husband demands, subject to the approval of the judges. 23But if the woman herself is injured, the punishment shall be life for life, 24#Lev 24.19–20; Deut 19.21; Mt 5.38eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26“If someone hits his male or female slave in the eye and puts it out, he is to free the slave as payment for the eye. 27If he knocks out a tooth, he is to free the slave as payment for the tooth.
The Responsibility of Owners
28“If a bull gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but its owner is not to be punished. 29But if the bull had been in the habit of attacking people and its owner had been warned, but did not keep it penned up — then if it gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its owner is to be put to death also. 30However, if the owner is allowed to pay a fine to save his life, he must pay the full amount required. 31If the bull kills a boy or a girl, the same rule applies. 32If the bull kills a male or female slave, its owner shall pay the owner of the slave thirty pieces of silver, and the bull shall be stoned to death.
33“If someone takes the cover off a pit or if he digs one and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34he must pay for the animal. He is to pay the money to the owner and may keep the dead animal. 35If someone's bull kills someone else's bull, the two of them shall sell the live bull and divide the money; they shall also divide up the meat from the dead animal. 36But if it was known that the bull had been in the habit of attacking and its owner did not keep it penned up, he must make good the loss by giving the other man a live bull, but he may keep the dead animal.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.