Exodus 21

The Decisions

1 s “These are the decisions that you will set before them:

Hebrew Servants

2 s “If you buyt a Hebrew servant,s he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he will go out frees without paying anything.t3 If he camet in by himselft he will go out by himself; if he hadt a wife when he came in, then his wife will go out with him.4 If his master gaves him a wife, and she bore sons or daughters, the wife and the children will belong to her master, and he will go out by himself.5 But if the servant should declare,t ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go outt free,’

6 then his master must bring him to the judges,t and he will bring him to the door or the doorposts, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.t
7 “If a man sells his daughters as a female servant,t she will not go out as the male servants do.8 If she does not pleaset her master, who has designated hert for himself, then he must let her be redeemed.t He has no rightt to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has dealt deceitfullys with her.9 If he designated her for his son, then he will deal with her according to the customary rightst of daughters.10 If he takes another wife,t he must not diminish the first one’s food,t her clothing, or her marital rights.s

11 If he does not provide her with these three things, then she will go out free, without paying money.s

Personal Injuries

12 s “Whoever strikes someonet so that he diest must surely be put to death.s13 But if he does not do it with premeditation,t but it happens by accident,t then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

14 But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly,t you will take him even from my altar that he may die.

15 “Whoever strikess his father or his mother must surely be put to death.

16 “Whoever kidnaps someonet and sells him,s or is caught still holding him,t must surely be put to death.

17 “Whoever treats his father or his mother disgracefullyt must surely be put to death.
18 “If men fight, and one strikes his neighbor with a stone or with his fist and he does not die, but must remain in bed,t

19 and thent if he gets up and walks aboutt outside on his staff, then the one who struck him is innocent, except he must payt for the injured person’st loss of timet and see to it that he is fully healed.
20 “If a man strikes his male servant or his female servant with a staff so that he or shet dies as a result of the blow,t he will surely be punished.t

21 However, if the injured servantt survives one or two days, the ownert will not be punished, for he has suffered the loss.t
22 “If men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely,t but there is no serious injury, he will surely be punished in accordance with what the woman’s husband demands of him, and he will pay what the court decides.t23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life,24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.s
26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male servant or his female servant so that he destroys it,t he will let the servantt go frees as compensation for the eye.

27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or his female servant, he will let the servantt go free as compensation for the tooth.

Laws about Animals

28 s “If an oxt gores a man or a woman so that either dies,t then the ox must surelyt be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.29 But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned,t and he did not take the necessary precautions,t and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.30 If a ransom is set for him,s then he must pay the redemption for his life according to whatever amount was set for him.31 If the oxt gores a son or a daughter, the ownert will be dealt with according to this rule.t

32 If the ox gores a male servant or a female servant, the ownert must pay thirty shekels of silver,s and the ox must be stoned.s
33 “If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,34 the owner of the pit must repayt the loss. He must give moneyt to its owner, and the dead animalt will become his.35 If the ox of one man injures the ox of his neighbor so that it dies, then they will sell the live ox and divide its proceeds,t and they will also divide the dead ox.t

36 Or if it is known that the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner did not take the necessary precautions, he must surely payt ox for ox, and the dead animal will become his.s

Exodus 21

1 Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.

2 If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.3 If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.4 If his master give him a wife and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.5 But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:6 then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.8 If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.9 And if he espouse her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.11 And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.

12 He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death.13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.14 And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17 And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18 And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed;19 if he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall surely be punished.21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

22 And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow; he shall be surely fined, according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.23 But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,25 burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.27 And if he smite out his man-servant’s tooth, or his maid-servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

28 And if an ox gore a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.29 But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and it hath been testified to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.30 If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.31 Whether it have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.32 If the ox gore a man-servant or a maid-servant, there shall be given unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein,34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money unto the owner thereof, and the dead beast shall be his.

35 And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, so that it dieth, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it: and the dead also they shall divide.36 Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.