Exodus 21
21
1These are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee: in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3With what raiment he came in, with the like let him go out: if having a wife, his wife also shall go out with him.
4But if his master gave him a wife, and she hath borne sons and daughters: the woman and her children shall be her master's. But he himself shall go out with his raiment.
5And if the servant shall say: I love my master and my wife and children, I will not go out free:
6His master shall bring him to the gods, and he shall be set to the door and the posts, and he shall bore his ear through with an awl. And he shall be his servant for ever.
7If any man sell his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as bondwomen are wont to go out.
8If she displease the eyes of her master to whom she was delivered, he shall let her go: but he shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation, if he despise her.
9But if he have betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10And if he take another wife for him, he shall provide her a marriage, and raiment: neither shall he refuse the price of her chastity.
11If he do not these three things, she shall go out free without money.
12He that striketh a man with a will to kill him shall be put to death.
13But he that did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands: I will appoint thee a place to which he must flee.
14If a man kill his neighbour on set purpose, and by lying in wait for him: thou shalt take him away from my altar, that he may die.
15He that striketh his father or mother shall be put to death.
16He that shall steal a man, and sell him, being convicted of guilt, shall be put to death.
17He that curseth his father, or mother, shall die the death.
18If men quarrel, and the one strike his neighbour with a stone or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
19If he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, he that struck him shall be quit: yet so that he make restitution for his work, and for his expenses upon the physicians.
20He that striketh his bondman or bondwoman with a rod, and they die under his hands, shall be guilty of the crime.
21But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money.
22If men quarrel, and one strike a woman with child, and she miscarry indeed, but live herself: he shall be answerable for so much damage as the woman's husband shall require, and as arbiters shall award.
23But if her death ensue thereupon, he shall render life for life.
24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26If any man strike the eye of his man-servant or maid-servant, and leave them but one eye, he shall let them go free for the eye which he put out.
27Also if he strike out a tooth of his man-servant or maid-servant, he shall in like manner make them free.
28If an ox gore a man or a woman, and they die, he shall be stoned: and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
29But if the ox was wont to push with his horn yesterday and the day before, and they warned his master, and he did not shut him up, and he shall kill a man or a woman: then the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
30And if they set a price upon him, he shall give for his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31If he have gored a son, or a daughter, he shall fall under the like sentence.
32If he assault a bondman or a bond woman, he shall give thirty sicles of silver to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.
33If a man open a pit, and dig one, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall into it,
34The owner of the pit shall pay the price of the beasts: and that which is dead shall be his own.
35If one man's ox gore another man's ox, and he die: they shall sell the live ox, and shall divide the price, and the carcass of that which died they shall part between them.
36But if he knew that his ox was wont to push yesterday and the day before, and his master did not keep him in: he shall pay ox for ox, and shall take the whole carcass.
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Exodus 21: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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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