Exodus 22

CHAPTER 22

1If any man stealeth a sheep, or ox, and slayeth, or selleth, he shall restore five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one sheep.

2And if a night thief breaking into an house, either undermining, is found, and he taken is dead by a wound, or hurt, the smiter shall not be guilty of his blood, or death;

3that if he did this when the sun was risen, he did manslaying, and he shall die. If a thief have not that, that he shall yield for [the] theft, he shall be sold;

4if that thing that he stole, is found quick at him, either ox, either ass, either sheep, he shall restore the double.

5If a man harmeth a field, or a vinery [or vineyard], and suffereth his beast, that it waste other men’s things, he shall restore for the value of [the] harm, the best things what-ever he hath in his field, either in his vinery [or vineyard].

6If fire goeth out, and findeth, or burneth, ears of corn, and catcheth heaps of corn, or corns standing in fields, he that kindled the fire shall yield the harm.

7If a man betaketh into keeping money to a friend, or a vessel, and it is taken away by theft from him that received it, if the thief is found, he shall restore the double.

8If the thief is hid, or unknown, the lord of the house that received that good shall be brought to the gods, that is, to judges, and he shall swear, that he held not forth his hand into his neighbour’s thing, to defraud;

9as well in ox, as in ass, and in sheep, and in clothes; and in what-ever thing may bring in harm, the cause of ever either shall come to the judges, and if they deem him guilty, he shall restore the double to his neighbour.

10If any man betaketh to his neighbour ox, ass, sheep, and all work beast to keeping, and it is dead, or is made feeble, or is taken of enemies, and no man seeth this,

11an oath shall be in the midst, that he held not forth his hand to the impairing of his neighbour’s thing; and the lord that owned that good shall receive his oath, and he to whom it was taken shall not be compelled to yield, or restore it.

12That if it is taken away by theft, he shall restore the harm to the lord;

13if it is eaten of a beast, he shall bring to the lord that that is slain, and he shall not restore it otherwise.

14He that asketh of his neighbour anything of these foresaid things by borrowing, and it is enfeebled, either dead, while the lord thereof is not present, he shall be constrained to yield it;

15that if the lord is in presence, he shall not restore it, mostly if it came hired, that is, if to hire he took it, for meed of his work.

16If a man deceiveth a virgin not yet wedded, and sleepeth with her, he shall give dower to her, and shall have her to wife.

17If the father of the virgin will not give her to him, he shall give money, by the manner of dower, which virgins were wont to take.

18Thou shalt not suffer witches to live.

19He that doeth lechery with a beast, die he by death.

20He that offereth to gods, except to the Lord alone, be he slain.

21Thou shalt not make sorrowful a comeling, neither thou shalt torment him; for also ye were comelings in the land of Egypt.

22Ye shall not harm a widow, and a fatherless or a motherless child.

23If ye hurt them, they shall cry to me, and I shall hear the cry of them,

24and my great vengeance shall have indignation on you, and I shall smite you with sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your sons shall be fatherless.

25If thou givest money to loan to my poor people, that dwelleth with thee, thou shalt not constrain him as an extortioner doeth, neither thou shalt oppress him by usuries.

26If thou takest of thy neighbour a cloth to wed or a cloak for a pledge, thou shalt yield it to him before the going down of the sun;

27for that alone is the clothing of his flesh, with which he is covered, neither he hath another, in which he shall sleep; if he crieth to me, I shall hear him; for I am merciful.

28Thou shalt not backbite [the] gods, that is, priests, or judges, and thou shalt not curse the prince of thy people.

29Thou shalt not tarry to offer to the Lord thy tithes, and thy first fruits. Thou shalt give to me the first begotten of thy sons;

30also of [thine] oxen, and of sheep, thou shalt do in like manner; seven days be he with his mother, in the eighth day thou shalt yield him to me.

31Ye shall be holy men to me; ye shall not eat the flesh that is before-tasted of beasts, but ye shall cast it forth to hounds.

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Exodus 22

Property Laws

The Lord said:

1If you steal an ox and slaughter or sell it, you must replace it with five oxen; if you steal a sheep and slaughter it or sell it, you must replace it with four sheep. 2-4But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double.

If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder.

5If you allow any of your animals to stray from your property and graze#22.5 graze: Or “eat everything.” in someone else's field or vineyard, you must repay the damage from the best part of your own harvest of grapes and grain.

6If you carelessly let a fire spread from your property to someone else's, you must pay the owner for any crops or fields destroyed by the fire.

7Suppose a neighbor asks you to keep some silver or other valuables, and they are stolen from your house. If the thief is caught, the thief must repay double. 8But if the thief isn't caught, some judges#22.8 some judges: Or “I.” will decide if you are the guilty one.

9Suppose two people claim to own the same ox or donkey or sheep or piece of clothing. Then the judges#22.9 the judges: Or “I.” must decide the case, and the guilty person will pay the owner double.

10Suppose a neighbor who is going to be away asks you to keep a donkey or an ox or a sheep or some other animal, and it dies or gets injured or is stolen while no one is looking. 11If you swear with me as your witness that you did not harm the animal, you do not have to replace it. Your word is enough. 12But if the animal was stolen while in your care, you must replace it. 13If the animal was attacked and killed by a wild animal, and you can show the remains of the dead animal to its owner, you do not have to replace it.

14Suppose you borrow an animal from a neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while the neighbor isn't around. Then you must replace it. 15But if something happens to the animal while the owner is present, you do not have to replace it. If you had leased the animal, the money you paid the owner will cover any harm done to it.

Laws for Everyday Life

The Lord said:

16 # Dt 22.28,29. Suppose a young woman has never had sex and isn't engaged. If a man talks her into having sex, he must pay the bride price#22.16 bride price: It was the custom for a man to pay his wife's family a bride price before the actual wedding ceremony took place. and marry her. 17But if her father refuses to let her marry the man, the bride price must still be paid.

18 # Dt 18.10,11. Death is the punishment for witchcraft.

19 # Lv 18.23; 20.15,16; Dt 27.14-26. Death is the punishment for having sex with an animal.

20 # Dt 17.2-7. Death is the punishment for offering sacrifices to any god except me.

21 # Ex 23.9; Lv 19.33,34; Dt 24.17,18; 27.14-26. Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.

22Do not mistreat widows or orphans. 23If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. 24In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.

25 # Lv 25.35-38; Dt 15.7-11; 23.19,20. Don't charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need. 26#Dt 24.10-13. Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan, 27because that is the only cover the poor have when they sleep at night. I am a merciful God, and when they call out to me, I will come to help them.

28 # Ac 23.5. Don't speak evil of me#22.28 me: Or “your judges.” or of the ruler of your people.

29Don't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me.#22.29 Don't fail … me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Dedicate to me your first-born sons 30and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Let the animals stay with their mothers for seven days, then on the eighth day give them to me, your God.

31 # Lv 17.15. You are my chosen people, so don't eat the meat of any of your livestock that was killed by a wild animal. Instead, feed the meat to dogs.

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