Exodus 21
21
Laws for Living
1Then God said to Moses, “These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites:
2“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free. And he will have to pay nothing. 3He might not be married when he becomes your slave. Then he must leave without a wife. The man might be married when he becomes your slave. Then he may take his wife with him. 4The slave’s master might give him a wife, and she might give birth to sons or daughters. Then the woman and her children will belong to the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave.
5“But the slave might say, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ 6Then the slave’s master will take him to God. The master will take him to a door or doorframe. And he will punch a hole through the slave’s ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that master all his life.
7“A man might sell his daughter as a slave. There are rules for setting her free. They are different from the rules for setting the men slaves free. 8Maybe the master wanted to marry her but then decided he was not pleased with her. He must let one of her close relatives buy her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners. This is because he has treated her unfairly. 9The man who bought her might promise to let the woman marry his son. Then he must treat her as a daughter. 10The man who bought her might marry another woman. Then he must not keep his slave woman from having food or clothing or physical relations. 11If he does not give her these three things, she may go free. She owes him no money.
Injuries
12“Anyone who hits a person and kills him must be put to death. 13But if a person kills someone accidentally, God allowed that to happen. So the person must go to a place I will choose. 14A person might plan and murder another person on purpose. Put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.
15“Anyone who hits his father or his mother must be put to death.
16“A person might kidnap someone. Then he either sells him as a slave or still has him when he is caught. That person must be put to death.
17“Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.
18“Two men might argue. And one might hit the other with a rock or with his fist. The hurt man might not be killed. But he might have to stay in bed. 19Later he might be able to get up. And he might be able to walk around outside with his walking stick. Then the one who hit him is not to be punished. But he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time. And he must support the injured man until he is completely healed.
20“A man might beat his male or female slave with a stick. And the slave might die on the spot. Then the owner must be punished. 21But the slave might get well after a day or two. Then that owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him.
22“Two men might be fighting, and they might hit a pregnant woman so that the baby comes out. But there is no further injury. Then the man who caused the injury must pay money. He must pay what the woman’s husband says and the court allows. 23But if there is further injury, then the punishment is that life must be paid for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It is also hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound and bruise for bruise.
26“A man might hit his male or female slave in the eye. And the eye might be blinded. Then the man is to free the slave to pay for the eye. 27A master might knock out a tooth of his male or female slave. Then the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth.
28“A man’s bull might kill a man or woman. Then you must kill that bull with stones. You should not eat the bull. But the owner of the bull is not guilty. 29But the bull might have hurt people in the past. The owner might have been warned. If he did not keep it in a pen and then it kills a man or woman, the bull must be killed with stones. And the owner must also be put to death. 30But the family of the dead man might accept money. Then the man who owned the bull may buy back his life. But he must pay whatever is demanded. 31Use this same law if the bull kills a person’s son or daughter. 32But the bull might kill a male or female slave. Then the owner must pay the master the price for a new slave. That is 12 ounces of silver. And the bull must also be killed with stones.
33“A man might take the cover off a pit. Or he might dig one and not cover it. Another man’s ox or donkey might come and fall into it. 34The owner of the pit must pay the owner of the animal for his loss. The dead animal will belong to the one who pays.
35“One man’s bull might kill another man’s bull. Then they must sell the bull that is alive. Both men get half of the money. And both men will also get half of the bull that was killed. 36A man’s bull might have hurt other animals in the past. But the owner might not have kept it in a pen. Then that owner must pay bull for bull. And the dead animal is his.
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Exodus 21
21
Regulations Regarding Hebrew Slaves
1“And these are the regulations that you will set before them.
2‘If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years, and in the seventh he will go out as free for nothing.#Or “for no payment” 3If he comes in single, he will go out single. If he is the husband of a wife, his wife will go out with him. 4If his master gives him a wife and she bears for him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and the slave will go out single. 5But if the slave explicitly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,” 6his master will present him to God#Or “present him to the judges” and bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever.
7“ ‘And if a man sells his daughter as a slave woman, she will not go out as male slaves go out. 8If she does not please her master#Literally “bad in the eyes of her master” who selected her, he will allow her to be redeemed; he has no authority to sell her to foreign people, since he has dealt treacherously with her. 9And if he selects her for his son, he shall do for her according to the regulations for daughters. 10If he takes for himself another, he will not reduce her food, her clothing, or her right of cohabitation. 11And if he does not do for her these three, she shall go out for nothing; there will not be silver#Or “money” paid for her.
Regulations Regarding Murder, Manslaughter, and Various Injuries
12“ ‘Whoever strikes someone#Literally “A striker of a man” and he dies will surely be put to death. 13But if he did not lie in wait and it was an accident,#Literally “and God let him happen to his hand” I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14But if a man schemes against his neighbor to kill him by treachery,#Or “with cunning” or “craftily” you will take him from my altar to die. 15And whoever strikes#Literally “a striker of” his father or his mother will surely be put to death.
16“ ‘And whoever kidnaps someone#Literally “a stealer of a man” and sells him, or he is found in his possession,#Literally “in his hand” he will surely be put to death.
17“ ‘And one who curses his father or his mother will surely be put to death.
18“ ‘And if men quarrel and a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist and he does not die, but he is confined to bed,#Literally “he falls to bed” 19if he stands and walks about in the outside on his staff, the striker will be unpunished; he will only pay for his inactivity#Literally “his sitting” toward his full recovery.”#Literally “and he indeed will recover” 20And if a man strikes his male slave or his female slave with the rod and he dies under his hand, he will surely be avenged. 21Yet if he survives a day or two days, he will not be avenged, because he is his money.#Or “property”; literally “his silver”
22“ ‘And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out and there is not serious injury, he will surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands concerning him and as the judges determine.#Literally “and he will give according to judgments” or “judges” or “arbitrators” 23And if there is serious injury, you will give life in place of life, 24eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, 25burn in place of burn, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.
26“ ‘And if a man strikes the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and destroys it, he shall release him as free in place of his eye. 27And if he causes the tooth of his male slave or the tooth of his female slave to fall out, he will release him as free in place of his tooth.
28“ ‘And if an ox gores a man or a woman and he dies, the ox will surely be stoned, and its meat will not be eaten, and the owner of the ox is innocent. 29But if it was a goring ox before#Literally “yesterday three days ago” and its owner was warned and did not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox will be stoned, and the owner also will be put to death. 30If a ransom is set on him, he will pay the redemption money for his life according to all that is set on him. 31If it gores a son or it gores a daughter, according to this regulation it shall be done to him. 32If the ox gores a male slave or a female slave, he will give thirty shekels of silver to his master, and the ox will be stoned.
33“ ‘If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and he does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the owner of the pit will pay restitution; he will pay silver to its owner, but the dead animal will be for him.#Or “will belong to him” 35And if a man’s ox injures the ox of his neighbor and it dies, they will sell the living ox and divide the money,#Literally “its silver” and they will also divide the dead one. 36Or if it was known that it was a goring ox before#Literally “yesterday three days ago” and its owner did not restrain it, he will surely make restitution, an ox in place of the ox, and the dead one will be for him.
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