21 These are the laws that you must put in front of the Israelites:
2 If you buy an Israelite slave, he must work for you for six years. But in the seventh year he will become a free man. He can leave you. He does not have to pay you any money. 3 If he came to you alone, he is free to leave alone. If he came with a wife, she can also leave with him. 4 But if the master has given a wife to the slave, she belongs to her master. If she has children, they also belong to her master. The slave must then leave by himself, without his wife and children.
5 But perhaps the slave may say, “I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go away as a free man!” 6 Then his master must take the slave to stand in front of the judges. [ a ] He must lead the slave to stand beside the door, or the wood that holds the door. Then the master must push the sharp point of a tool through the slave's ear. After that, he will serve his master for all his life.
7 Perhaps a man may sell his daughter to someone as a slave. She is not free to leave her master after six years, as the male slaves are. 8 Her master has chosen her for himself. If she does not make her master happy, he must let her family buy her back from him. He cannot sell her to a foreign person. He has not done what he promised to her. [ b ] 9 If the master had chosen the girl to marry his son, he must take care of her like his own daughter. 10 If the master marries another woman as well, he must still take care of the first woman. He must continue to give her food and clothes. He must not refuse to sleep with her. 11 If he does not do these three things, she may leave him. She does not have to pay him any money.
12 Perhaps a person may hit another person so that he dies. You must punish the murderer with death. 13 But perhaps he had not decided to kill the other person. Perhaps God let it happen. Then the man should run away to a safe place that I will choose for you. 14 But if he already decided to kill the other person, he is a murderer. You must punish him with death. Even if he runs to my altar as a safe place, take him away from there and kill him.
15 If someone attacks his father or his mother, you must punish him with death.
16 If someone catches another person to sell him, you must punish him with death. Kill him even if you find him when he has not yet sold the man that he caught.
17 If someone curses his father or his mother, you must punish him with death.
18 Perhaps two men argue and they fight one another. One man might hit the other man with a stone or with his fist. The man that he hit might not die but he might have to stay in bed for some time. 19 After that, he may get up. He may be able to walk about outside, if he uses a stick. Then the man who hit him is not guilty. But he must pay the man that he has hurt. He must pay him for the time that he has not been able to work. He must also make sure that the man becomes completely well again.
20 Perhaps a master may hit his male slave or his female slave with a stick. If the slave dies because of this, you must punish the master. 21 But if the slave is still alive after one or two days, do not punish his master. The master has already lost the slave's work for that time.
22 When two men fight together, perhaps one of them may hit a pregnant woman. As a result of the fight, she may give birth to her child before the right time. If the man has not hurt the woman very much, he must pay money to her husband. He must pay the amount of money that the husband demands. A judge must agree that the money for his punishment is fair. 23 But if the man has hurt the woman a lot, you must punish him as he deserves. Take a life for a life, 24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot. 25 You must give him a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise. [ c ]
26 If a master hits the eye of his male slave or his female slave, he might destroy it. Then he must let the slave go away as a free person to pay for the loss of their eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, he must also let the slave go away to pay for the loss of the tooth.
28 Perhaps a bull may attack someone so that the person dies. Then you must throw stones at the bull to kill it. You must not eat the meat from that bull. But do not punish the owner of the bull. 29 But perhaps that bull has attacked people before. Perhaps someone warned the owner about this, but the man did not keep the bull in a safe place. If that happens, and the bull kills someone, you must kill the bull. You must also punish the bull's owner with death. 30 But if the dead person's family demands money, the man can give them money instead of his life. He must pay them what they ask for. 31 This law is the same if the bull attacks someone's son or their daughter. 32 If it attacks a male slave or a female slave, the man must pay 30 silver coins to the slave's master. You must also throw stones at the bull to kill it.
33 If a man digs a hole in the ground, he must cover it. If he leaves a hole open, a cow or a donkey might fall into it. 34 Then the man who dug the hole must pay for the loss of the animal. He must pay money to the animal's owner, but he may keep the dead animal for himself.
35 If one man's bull attacks another man's bull, it may die. Then they must sell the bull that is still alive. Each man can take half of the money and half of the dead bull as well. 36 But perhaps that bull has attacked other animals before. If its owner knows that and he did not do anything, he must pay for the dead bull. He should have kept his bull in a safe place. So he must pay the owner of the dead bull, but he can keep the dead animal for himself.
21 Then God said to Moses, “These are the other laws that you will give to the people:
2 “If you buy a Hebrew [ a ] slave, then that slave will serve for only six years. After six years, he will be free, and he will have to pay nothing. 3 If he is not married when he becomes your slave, when he becomes free, he will leave without a wife. But if the man is married when he becomes your slave, then he will keep his wife at the time he is made free. 4 If the slave is not married, the master can give him a wife. If that wife gives birth to sons or daughters, she and her children will belong to the master. After the slave is finished with his years of service, he will be made free.
5 “But if the slave decides that he wants to stay with the master, he must say, ‘I love my master. I love my wife and my children. I will not become free—I will stay.’ 6 If this happens, the master will bring the slave before God. [ b ] The master will take the slave to a door or the wooden frame around the door and pierce the slave’s ear using a sharp tool to show that the slave will serve that master for all his life.
7 “A man might decide to sell his daughter as a slave. If this happens, the rules for making her free are not the same as the rules for making the men slaves free. 8 If the master who chose her for himself is not pleased with her, then he can sell the woman back to her father. If the master broke his promise to marry her, he loses the right to sell her to other people. 9 If the master promised to let the slave woman marry his son, he must treat her like a daughter, not like a slave.
10 “If the master marries another woman, he must not give less food or clothing to the first wife. And he must continue to give her what she has a right to have in marriage. 11 The man must do these three things for her. If he does not, the woman is made free, and it will cost her nothing. She owes no money to the man.
12 “Whoever hits and kills someone must be killed too. 13 But if an accident happens, and a person kills someone without planning it, then God allowed that thing to happen. I will choose some special places where people can run to for safety. So that person can run to one of those places. 14 But whoever plans to kill someone out of anger or hatred must be punished. Take them away from my altar [ c ] and kill them.
15 “Whoever hits their father or their mother must be killed.
16 “Whoever steals someone to sell them as a slave or to keep them for their own slave must be killed.
17 “Whoever curses their father or mother must be killed.
18 “Two men might argue and one might hit the other with a rock or with his fist. If the man who was hurt is not killed, the man who hurt him should not be killed. 19 If the man was hurt and must stay in bed for some time, the man who hurt him must support him. The man who hurt him must pay for the loss of his time. He must support him until he is completely healed.
20 “Sometimes people beat their slaves. If the slave dies after being beaten, the killer must be punished. 21 But if the slave gets up after a few days, then the master will not be punished. [ d ] That is because someone paid their money for the slave, and the slave belongs to them.
22 “Two men might be fighting and hurt a pregnant woman. This might make the woman give birth to her baby before its time. If the woman was not hurt badly, [ e ] the man who hurt her must pay a fine. The woman’s husband will decide how much the man must pay. The judges will help the man decide how much the fine will be. 23 But if the woman was hurt badly, then the man who hurt her must be punished. The punishment must fit the crime. You must trade one life for another life. 24 You must trade an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, 25 a burn for a burn, a bruise for a bruise, a cut for a cut.
26 “If a man hits a slave in the eye, and the slave is blinded in that eye, then the slave will be allowed to go free. His eye is the payment for his freedom. This is the same for a man or a woman slave. 27 If a master hits his slave in the mouth, and the slave loses a tooth, then the slave will be allowed to go free. The slave’s tooth is payment for the slave’s freedom. This is the same for a man or a woman slave.
28 “If a man’s bull kills a man or woman, then you should use stones and kill that bull. You should not eat the bull. The owner of the bull is not guilty. 29 But if the bull had hurt people in the past, and if the owner was warned, then the owner is guilty. That is because he did not keep the bull tied or locked in its place. So if the bull is allowed to be free and kills someone, the owner is guilty. You should kill the bull with stones and also kill the owner. 30 But the family of the dead man may accept money. If they accept money, the man who owned the bull should not be killed. But he must pay as much money as the judge decides.
31 “This same law must be followed if the bull kills someone’s son or daughter. 32 But if the bull kills a slave, the owner of the animal must pay the master 30 pieces of silver. [ f ] And the bull must also be killed with stones. This law will be the same for men and women slaves.
33 “A man might take a cover off a well or dig a hole and not cover it. If another man’s animal comes and falls into that hole, the man who owns the hole is guilty. 34 The man who owns the hole must pay for the animal. But after he pays for the animal, he will be allowed to keep the body of that animal.
35 “If one man’s bull kills another man’s bull, they should sell the bull that is alive. Both men will get half of the money that comes from selling the bull, and both men will also get half of the bull that was killed. 36 But if a man’s bull has hurt other animals in the past, that owner is responsible for his bull. If his bull kills another bull, he is guilty because he allowed the bull to be free. That man must pay bull for bull. He must trade his bull for the bull that was killed.
21 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
5 And 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 the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
9 And if he have betrothed 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 unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely 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 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, 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 strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth 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 be surely punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief 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, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.
27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give 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, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
21 “Now these are the ( A ) ordinances which you are to set before them:
2 “If you buy ( B ) a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall leave as a free man without a payment to you . 3 If he comes [ a ] alone, he shall leave [ b ] alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall leave [ c ] alone. 5 But ( C ) if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not leave as a free man,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to [ d ] God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an [ e ] awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
7 “Now ( D ) if a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to [ f ] go free ( E ) as the male slaves [ g ] do. 8 If she is [ h ] displeasing in the eyes of her master [ i ] who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people, because of his [ j ] unfairness to her. 9 And if he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10 If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her [ k ] food, her clothing, or ( F ) her conjugal rights. 11 But if he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go [ l ] free for nothing, without payment of money.
12 “ ( G ) He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death. 13 ( H ) Yet [ m ] if he did not lie in wait for him , but ( I ) God caused him to fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14 ( J ) If, however, someone is enraged against his neighbor, so as to kill him in a cunning way, you are to take him even from My altar, to be put to death.
15 “And one who strikes his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.
16 “Now ( K ) one who [ n ] kidnaps someone, whether he sells him or he is found in his [ o ] possession, shall certainly be put to death.
17 “And ( L ) one who curses his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.
18 “Now if people have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with a fist, and he does not die but [ p ] is confined to bed, 19 if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his [ q ] loss of time, and [ r ] shall pay for his care until he is completely healed.
20 “And if someone strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies [ s ] at his hand, he shall [ t ] be punished. 21 If, however, the slave [ u ] survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; ( M ) for the slave is his [ v ] property.
22 “Now if people struggle with each other and strike a pregnant woman so that [ w ] she gives birth prematurely, but there is no injury, the guilty person shall certainly be fined as the woman’s husband [ x ] may demand of him, and he shall ( N ) pay [ y ] as the judges decide . 23 But if there is any further injury, ( O ) then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 ( P ) eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, [ z ] bruise for bruise.
26 “And if someone strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he shall let [ aa ] the slave go free on account of the eye. 27 And if he [ ab ] knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let [ ac ] the slave go free on account of the tooth.
28 “Now if an ox gores a man or a woman [ ad ] to death, ( Q ) the ox shall certainly be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29 If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is [ ae ] demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is [ af ] demanded of him. 31 Whether it gores a son or [ ag ] a daughter, it shall be done to him according to [ ah ] the same rule. 32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, [ ai ] the owner shall give his or her master [ aj ] ( R ) thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “Now if someone opens a pit, or [ ak ] digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall [ al ] give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.
35 “And if someone’s ox injures another’s ox so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its proceeds equally; and they shall also divide the dead ox . 36 Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he must make restitution of ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.
21 “These are the laws ( A ) you are to set before them:
2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, ( D ) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, ( E ) without paying anything. 3 If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
5 “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ ( F ) 6 then his master must take him before the judges. [ a ] ( G ) He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce ( H ) his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. ( I )
7 “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. 8 If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, [ b ] he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. 9 If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. ( J ) 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.
12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death. ( K ) 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place ( L ) I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, ( M ) that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death. ( N )
15 “Anyone who attacks [ c ] their father or mother is to be put to death.
16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, ( O ) whether the victim has been sold ( P ) or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. ( Q )
18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist [ d ] and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.
20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property. ( R )
22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [ e ] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands ( S ) and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, ( T ) 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, ( U ) hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.
28 “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, ( V ) and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up ( W ) and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded. ( X ) 31 This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels [ f ] ( Y ) of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.
33 “If anyone uncovers a pit ( Z ) or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.
35 “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, ( AA ) the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.
