Exodus 21

1 “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:

Now these are the ordinances which thou shall set before them.

2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

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 comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

If he comes 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 gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her sons 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;’

But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my sons, I will not go out free,

6 then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.

then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door, or to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.

7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

And if a man sells his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.

8 If she does not please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

If she does not please her master, who has espoused her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no power to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

9 If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.

And if he espouses her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the manner of daughters.

10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

If he takes him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, he shall not diminish.

11 If he does not do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

And if he does not do these three things to her, then she shall go out for nothing, without money.

12 “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

He who smites a man, so that he dies, shall surely be put to death.

13 but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

And if a man does not lie in wait, but God delivers him into his hand, then I will appoint for thee a place where he shall flee.

14 If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

And if a man comes presumptuously upon his neighbor, to kill him with guile, thou shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

15 “Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

And he who smites his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

And he who steals a man, and sells him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17 “Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

And he who curses his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18 “If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he does not die, but is confined to bed;

And if men contend, and one smites the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he does not die, but keeps his bed,

19 if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.

if he rises again, and walks abroad upon his staff, then he who smote him shall be acquitted. Only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

20 “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished.

And if a man smites his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

21 Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.

Notwithstanding, if he continues a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his money.

22 “If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.

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 follows, then you must take life for life,

But if any harm follows, then thou shall give life for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 “If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

And if a man smites the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.

27 If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let the servant go free for his tooth’s sake.

And if he knocks out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

28 “If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

And if an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.

29 But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.

But if the ox was accustomed to gore in time past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.

30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed.

If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid upon him.

31 Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

Whether it has gored a son, or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

32 If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

If the ox gores a man-servant or a maid-servant, there shall be given to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 “If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,

34 the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to the owner of it, and the dead beast shall be his.

35 “If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.

And if one man's ox hurts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it, and the dead they shall also divide.

36 Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.

Or if it be known that the ox was accustomed to gore in time past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.