Exodus 22
22
Property Laws
1“A man might steal a bull or a sheep and kill or sell it. Then he must pay back five bulls for the one bull he stole. Or he must pay back four sheep for the one sheep he stole.
2-4“The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. He might own nothing. Then he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. The stolen animal might be found alive with the robber. Then he must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole. He must pay, whether he stole a bull, donkey or sheep.
“A thief might be killed while breaking into a house at night. Then the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if this happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.
5“A person might let his farm animal graze in his field or vineyard. And it might wander into another person’s field or vineyard. Then the owner of the animal must pay back the loss. The payment must come from the best of his crop.
6“A man might start a fire that spreads through the thornbushes to his neighbor’s field. The fire might burn his neighbor’s growing grain or grain that has been stacked. Or it might burn his whole field. Then the person who started the fire must pay for what was burned.
7“A man might give his neighbor money or other things to keep for him. Those things might be stolen from the neighbor’s house. And the thief might be caught. Then he must pay back twice as much as he stole. 8But maybe the thief is never found. Then the owner of the house must make a promise before God. He must promise that he has not stolen his neighbor’s things.
9“Two men might disagree about who owns something. It might be an ox, donkey, sheep or clothing. Or it might be something else that is lost. Each says, ‘This is mine.’ Each man must bring his case to God. God’s judges will decide who is guilty. Then he must pay the other man twice as much as the thing is worth.
10“A man might ask his neighbor to keep his animal for him. This animal might be a donkey, ox, sheep or some other animal. And that animal might die, be hurt or be taken away. And no one saw what happened. 11That neighbor must promise before the Lord that he did not harm or kill the other man’s animal. The owner of the animal must accept his promise made before God. The neighbor does not have to pay the owner for the animal. 12But the animal might have been stolen from the neighbor. Then he must pay the owner for it. 13Wild animals might have killed the animal. Then the neighbor must bring the body as proof. He will not have to pay for the animal that was killed.
14“A man might borrow an animal from his neighbor. It might get hurt or die while the owner is not there. Then the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal. 15The owner might be with the animal. Then the one who borrowed it does not have to pay. If the animal was rented, the rental price covers the loss.
Laws and Relationships
16“A man might find a woman who is not pledged to be married. She has never had physical relations with a man. He might trick her into having physical relations with him. Then he must give her family the payment to marry her. And she will be his wife. 17But her father might refuse to allow his daughter to marry him. Then the man must still give the payment for a bride. He must pay the usual charge for a woman who is a virgin.
18“Put to death any woman who does evil magic.
19“Put to death anyone who has unnatural physical relations with an animal.
20“Destroy completely any person who makes a sacrifice to any god except the Lord.
21“Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner. Remember that you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
22“Do not cheat a widow or an orphan. 23If you do, they will cry out to me for help. I certainly will hear their cry. 24And I will be very angry and kill you in war. Then your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans.
25“You might lend money to one of my people who is poor. Then do not treat him as a moneylender would. Charge him nothing for using your money. 26Your neighbor might give you his coat as a promise. He is promising to pay you the money he owes you. But you must give it back to him by sunset. 27That coat is the only cover to keep his body warm. He has nothing else to sleep in. If he cries out to me for help, I will listen because I am merciful.
28“You must not speak against God. You must not curse a leader of your people.
29“Do not hold back your offering from the first of your harvest. Give me the first grain that you harvest. Give me the first wine that you make. Also, you must give me your firstborn sons. 30You must do the same with your bulls and your sheep. Let the firstborn males stay with their mothers for seven days. On the eighth day you must give them to me.
31“You are to be my holy people. You must not eat the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Instead, give it to the dogs.
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Exodus 22
22
Regulations Regarding Theft, Borrowing, and Accidental Damage or Loss
1#Exodus 22:1–31 in the English Bible is 21:37–22:30 in the Hebrew Bible “ ‘If a man steals an ox or small livestock and slaughters it or sells it, he will make restitution with five cattle in place of the ox and with four sheep or goats in place of the small livestock. 2“ ‘If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him. 3(If the sun has risen over him, there is bloodguilt for him. He will make full restitution. If he does not have enough,#Literally “there is not to him” he will be sold for his theft. 4If indeed the stolen item is found in his possession#Literally “in his hand” alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution.
5“ ‘If a man grazes his livestock in a field or a vineyard and he releases his livestock and it grazes in the field of another, he will make restitution from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.
6“ ‘If a fire is started and finds thorn bushes and a stack of sheaves or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire will surely make restitution.
7“ ‘If a man gives to his neighbor money or objects to watch over and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found, he will make double restitution. 8If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will be brought to the sanctuary#Literally “to God” or perhaps “to the judges” to learn whether or not he reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession. 9Concerning every account of transgression—concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property—where someone says, “This belongs to me,” the matter of the two of them will come to God;#Or “the judges” whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.
10“ ‘If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or small livestock or any beast to watch over and it dies or is injured or is captured when there is no one who sees, 11the oath of Yahweh will be between the two of them concerning whether or not he has reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession, and its owner will accept this, and he will not make restitution. 12But if indeed it was stolen from him, he will make restitution to its owner. 13If indeed it was torn to pieces, he will bring it as evidence—the mangled carcass; he will not make restitution.
14“ ‘If a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he will make restitution. 15If its owner was with it, he will not make restitution; if it was hired, it came with its hiring fee.
Regulations Regarding Various Offences
16“ ‘If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and he lies with her, he surely will give her bride price to have her as his wife.#Literally “for him for a woman” 17If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he will weigh out money according to the bride price for the virgin.
18“ ‘You will not let a witch live.
19“ ‘Anyone lying with an animal will surely be put to death.
20“ ‘Whoever sacrifices to the gods—not to Yahweh, to him alone—will be destroyed.
Regulations Regarding Foreigners and the Poor
21“ ‘You will not mistreat an alien, and you will not oppress him, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
22“ ‘You will not afflict any widow or orphan. 23If you indeed afflict him, yes, if he cries out at all to me, I will certainly hear his cry of distress. 24And I will become angry,#Literally “my nose will burn” and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.
25“ ‘If you lend money to my people, to the needy with you, you will not be to him as a creditor; you will not charge him interest.#Literally “put on him interest” 26If indeed you require the cloak of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him at sundown, 27because it is his only garment; it is his cloak for his skin. In what will he sleep? And#Literally “And it will be” when he cries out to me, I will hear, because I am gracious.
Regulations Regarding Tribute and Holiness
28“ ‘You will not curse God,#Or “a judge” and you will not curse a leader among your people.
29“ ‘You will not delay the fullness of your harvest and the juice from your press; you will give me the firstborn of your sons. 30You will do likewise for your ox and for your sheep and goats; seven days it will be with its mother; on the eighth, you will give it to me. 31And you will be men of holiness for me; and you will not eat meat from a carcass mangled in the field; you will throw it to the dog.
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