Exodus 22

1 When a man stealeth an ox or a sheep, and slayeth it, or selleth it, with five of the herd, shall he make good—for the ox, or with four of the flock, for the sheep.

If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made.

2 If, in the place of breaking in, the thief be found and he is smitten so that he dieth, there is due for him no shedding of blood:

If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood.

3 should the sun have arisen upon him, there would be shedding of blood due for him, —he is surely to make restitution, if he hath nothing, then is he to be sold, for his theft.

But if it is after dawn, he will be responsible.

4 If the thing stolen is found in his hand—whether ox or ass or sheep, alive, with two, shall he make restitution.

If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value.

5 When a man causeth a field or a vineyard to be depastured, or hath sent in his own cattle and stripped the field of another, he shall, surely make restitution, out of his own field, according to the yield thereof; or if, all the field, he depasture, with the best of his own field, or with the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

If a man makes a fire in a field or a vine-garden, and lets the fire do damage to another man's field, he is to give of the best produce of his field or his vine-garden to make up for it.

6 When a fire breaketh out and hath come upon thorns and so there is consumed a stack of sheaves, or the standing corn, or the field, he that kindled the fire, shall surely make restitution.

If there is a fire and the flames get to the thorns at the edge of the field, causing destruction of the cut grain or of the living grain, or of the field, he who made the fire will have to make up for the damage.

7 When a man giveth unto his neighbour silver or jewelry, to keep, and it is stolen out of the house of the man:

If a man puts money or goods in the care of his neighbour to keep for him, and it is taken from the man's house, if they get the thief, he will have to make payment of twice the value.

8 if the thief be found, he shall give in restitution double, if the thief be not found, then shall the owner of the house be brought near unto God to swear that he hath not laid his hand on the property of his neighbour.

If they do not get the thief, let the master of the house come before the judges and take an oath that he has not put his hand on his neighbour's goods.

9 For any affair of trespass—for an ox, for an ass, for a sheep, for a mantle for anything lost as to which one could say—This is it, unto God, shall come the affair of them both, —he whom God shall condemn, shall make restitution of double to his neighbour.

In any question about an ox or an ass or a sheep or clothing, or about the loss of any property which anyone says is his, let the two sides put their cause before God; and he who is judged to be in the wrong is to make payment to his neighbour of twice the value.

10 When a man delivereth unto his neighbour, an ass, or an ox or a sheep, or any beast, to keep, —and it dieth or is fractured, or is driven away, no one beholding,

If a man puts an ass or an ox or a sheep or any beast into the keeping of his neighbour, and it comes to death or is damaged or is taken away, without any person seeing it:

11 the oath of Yahweh, shall come between them both, That he hath not laid his hand on the property of his neighbour, —then shall the owner thereof accept it and he shall not make restitution.

If he takes his oath before the Lord that he has not put his hand to his neighbour's goods, the owner is to take his word for it and he will not have to make payment for it.

12 But, if it be verily stolen, from him, he shall make restitution to the owner thereof.

But if it is taken from him by a thief, he is to make up for the loss of it to its owner.

13 If it be, verily torn in pieces, he shall bring it in as a witness—for that which was torn, he shall not make restitution.

But if it has been damaged by a beast, and he is able to make this clear, he will not have to make payment for what was damaged.

14 And when a man asketh aught of his neighbour, and it is fractured or dieth, its owner, not being with it, he shall, surely make restitution.

If a man gets from his neighbour the use of one of his beasts, and it is damaged or put to death when the owner is not with it, he will certainly have to make payment for the loss.

15 If, its owner, was with it, he shall not make restitution, —if it is, hired, it cometh into its hire.

If the owner is with it, he will not have to make payment: if he gave money for the use of it, the loss is covered by the payment.

16 And, when a man enticeth a virgin who is not betrothed, and lieth with her, he shall, surely pay a purchase-price, that she may be his wife.

If a man takes a virgin, who has not given her word to another man, and has connection with her, he will have to give a bride-price for her to be his wife.

17 If her father utterly refuse, to give her to him, silver, shall he weigh out, according to the purchase-price of virgins.

If her father will not give her to him on any account, he will have to give the regular payment for virgins.

18 A sorceress, shalt thou not suffer to live.

Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death.

19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.

Any man who has sex connection with a beast is to be put to death.

20 He that sacrificeth to the gods shall be devoted to destruction, —except [he sacrificeth] to Yahweh alone.

Complete destruction will come on any man who makes offerings to any other god but the Lord.

21 And, a sojourner, shalt thou not tread down neither shalt thou drive him away, —for sojourners, ye became in the land of Egypt.

Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt.

22 Neither widow nor fatherless, shalt thou humiliate:

Do no wrong to a widow, or to a child whose father is dead.

23 if thou, do humiliate, him, when he in anywise crieth out unto me, I will, surely hear, his outcry:

If you are cruel to them in any way, and their cry comes up to me, I will certainly give ear;

24 so shall kindle mine anger, and I will slay you with the sword, —and your wives, shall become widows, and your, sons fatherless.

And in the heat of my wrath I will put you to death with the sword, so that your wives will be widows and your children without fathers.

25 If, silver, thou wilt lend unto my people—unto the humbled one by thee, thou shalt not be to him like one that lendeth on interest, —thou shalt not lay upon him interest.

If you let any of the poor among my people have the use of your money, do not be a hard creditor to him, and do not take interest.

26 If thou, do take in pledge, the mantle of thy neighbour, by the going in of the sun, shalt thou restore it to him;

If ever you take your neighbour's clothing in exchange for the use of your money, let him have it back before the sun goes down:

27 for that is his only covering, that, is his mantle, for his skin, —wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass when he maketh outcry unto me, then will I hear because, gracious, I am.

For it is the only thing he has for covering his skin; what is he to go to sleep in? and when his cry comes up to me, I will give ear, for my mercy is great.

28 God, shalt thou not revile, —and a prince among thy people, shalt thou not curse.

You may not say evil of the judges, or put a curse on the ruler of your people.

29 Thy fulness and thine outflow, shalt thou not delay, —the firstborn of thy sons, shalt thou give to me.

Do not keep back your offerings from the wealth of your grain and your vines. The first of your sons you are to give to me.

30 Thus, shalt thou do with thine ox with thy sheep, —seven days, shall it be with its dam, on the eighth day, shalt thou give it to me.

In the same way with your oxen and your sheep: for seven days let the young one be with its mother; on the eighth day give it to me.

31 Holy men, therefore shall ye truly become to me, —and flesh in the field torn to pieces, shall ye not eat, to the dogs, shall ye cast it.

You are to be holy men to me: the flesh of no animal whose death has been caused by the beasts of the field may be used for your food; it is to be given to the dogs.