< Exodus 21 >

1 “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:
“Se bubu siwo dzi miawɔ la woe nye:
2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
“Ne Hebri ŋutsu aɖe nyi fe le asiwò, mete ŋu xee o, eye wòto esia me zu wò kluvi la, ekema ele be wòasubɔ wò ƒe ade ko. Magaxe fe aɖeke o, ke boŋ azu ablɔɖeme le ƒe adrelia me.
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.
“Ne ezu wò kluvi hafi va ɖe srɔ̃ la, ekema eya ɖeka koe azu ablɔɖeme. Ke ne eɖe srɔ̃ hafi va zu wò kluvi la, ekema eya ŋutɔ kple srɔ̃a siaa azu ablɔɖemewo le ŋkeke ɖeka ma dzi.
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.
Ke ne aƒetɔ aɖe ɖe srɔ̃ na eƒe kluvi, eye wodzi viŋutsuwo kple vinyɔnuwo la, ekema srɔ̃nyɔnu la kple wo viwo aganye aƒetɔ la tɔ, le esime kluvi la ya azu ablɔɖeme.
5 But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’
“Ke ne kluvi la ɖe gbeƒã be, ‘Melɔ̃ nye aƒetɔ, srɔ̃nye kple vinyewo, eya ta nyemedi be mazu ablɔɖeme o’ la,
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.
ekema ele be aƒetɔ la nakplɔe va ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo ŋkume, aŋɔ to nɛ kple nuŋɔnui le amewo ŋkume, ekema azu kluvi azɔ tegbetegbe.
7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.
“Ne fofo aɖe dzra via nyɔnu wòzu kosi la, mazu ablɔɖeme le ƒe ade megbe abe ŋutsuwo ene o.
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.
Ne kosi la ƒe nu meganyo eƒe aƒetɔ ŋu o la, ekema aƒetɔ la ate ŋu ana ame bubu naƒlee. Ke aƒetɔ la mekpɔ mɔ adzra kosi la na dukɔ bubu me tɔwo o, elabena eda vo ɖe kosi la ŋu le esime megadi be wòaganye ye srɔ̃ o ta.
9 If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.
Ne aƒetɔ la na eya ŋutɔ Via ŋutsu ɖe Hebri kosi aɖe la, ekema magabu nyɔnu la abe kosi ene o, ke boŋ alé be nɛ azɔ abe eya ŋutɔ via nyɔnu ene.
10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.
Ne aƒetɔ la ŋutɔ ɖe kosi la, eye wògaɖe nyɔnu bubu kpe ɖe eŋu la, mele be wòaɖe kosi la ƒe nuɖuɖu alo nutata dzi akpɔtɔ loo alo agbe egbɔdɔdɔ abe srɔ̃a ene o.
11 If he does not do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.
Ne ŋutsu la gbe nu etɔ̃ siawo dometɔ ɖeka wɔwɔ la, ekema kosi la kpɔ mɔ adzo, eye maxe fe aɖeke o.”
12 “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
“Ne ame aɖe ƒo ame aɖe sesĩe ale gbegbe be wòku la, ekema ele be woawui.
13 but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
Ke ne amea meɖo be yeawu ame o, gake Mawu ɖe mɔ wòva eme la, ekema mafia teƒe aɖe wòasi ayi, eye wòakpɔ sitsoƒe.
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.
Gake ne ame aɖe dze nɔvia dzi kple tameɖoɖo be yeawui la, ekema ne ele nye vɔsamlekpui ŋgɔ gɔ̃ hã la, ele be miahee ado goe, awui.
15 “Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.
“Ele be woawu ame sia ame si aƒo fofoa alo dadaa.
16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
“Ne ame aɖe fi ame la, ele be woawui ne wokpɔ ame si wòfi la le egbɔ loo alo ne edzrae abe kluvi ene xoxo.
17 “Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
“Ele be woawu ame sia ame si ado vlo dadaa alo fofoa alo aƒo fi ade wo dometɔ aɖe.
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;
“Ne ame eve le avu wɔm, eye ɖeka ƒu kpe nɔvia alo tu kɔe, eye wòwɔ nuvevii wòle be wòatsi aba dzi, gake meku o,
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.
ne egate ŋu zɔ emegbe kple atizɔti gɔ̃ hã la, womahe to aɖeke na ame si ƒoe la o, ɖeko woana wòaxe fe ɖe ɣeyiɣi si wògblẽ la ta va se ɖe esime eƒe lãme nasẽ nyuie; ele be wòaxe eƒe dɔdaƒe hã.
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.
“Ne ame aɖe ƒo eƒe kluvi alo kosivi wòku ɖe eƒe asi me la, woahe to nɛ kokoko.
21 Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.
Ke ne kluvi la alo kosivi la meku le ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo megbe o la, ekema mele be woahe to aɖeke na aƒetɔ la o, elabena eya ŋutɔ tɔe nye kluvi la alo kosi la.
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.
“Ne ŋutsu eve le avu wɔm, eye le avu la wɔwɔ me la, avuwɔla ɖeka wɔ nuvevi funɔ aɖe, eye fua gblẽ nɛ, gake meku o la, ekema woana ŋutsu la naxe fe sia fe si funɔ la srɔ̃ abla nɛ, eye ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo alɔ̃ ɖe edzi nɛ.
23 But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,
Ke ne nuveviwɔame aɖe ana funɔ la naku la, woawu ame si wɔ nuvevi lae.
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
“Ŋku ɖe ŋku teƒe, aɖu ɖe aɖu teƒe, asi ɖe asi teƒe, afɔ ɖe afɔ teƒe,
25 burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
dzobi ɖe dzobi teƒe, abi ɖe abi teƒe, kabi ɖe kabi teƒe.
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.
“Ne ame aɖe ƒo ŋku na eƒe kluvi alo kosi, eye ŋku la tsi la, ekema kluvi la alo kosi la azu ablɔɖeme le eƒe ŋku la ta.
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.
Ne aƒetɔ aɖe ŋe aɖu na eƒe kluvi la, ele be wòaɖe asi le kluvi la ŋu le eƒe aɖu si ŋe la ta.
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.
“Ne nyi aɖe tu dzo ŋutsu aɖe alo nyɔnu aɖe wòku la, woaƒu kpe nyi la wòaku; womaɖu eƒe lã o, eye womabia nya aɖeke ame si ƒe nyi wònye o.
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.
Ke ne amewo nya be nyi la nɔa dzo tum ame, eye wona nyanya nyitɔ la, gake mekpɔ nyi la dzi nyuie o la, ekema ne nyi la wu ame aɖe la, woaƒu kpe nyi la wòaku, eye woawu nyitɔ la hã.
30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed.
Ke ne ƒometɔwo lɔ̃ la, woaxe fe si dzi ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo alɔ̃ ɖo, ekema womagawu nyitɔ la o.
31 Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.
“Woazɔ ɖe se sia ke dzi ne nyi aɖe wu ŋutsuvi alo nyɔnuvi.
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.
Ke ne nyi la wu kluvi alo kosivi la, ekema woaxe klosalo blaetɔ̃ na kluvi la alo kosi la ƒe aƒetɔ, eye woaƒu kpe nyi la wòaku.
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,
“Ne ame aɖe ɖe vudo, metu nu enu o, eye ame aɖe ƒe nyi alo tedzi ge ɖe eme la,
34 the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.
ekema ame si ƒe vudo wònye la axe fe na nyitɔ ɖe lã la ta, eye lã kuku la azu vudotɔ tɔ.
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.
“Ne ame aɖe ƒe nyitsu tu dzo ame bubu ƒe nyitsu wòku la, ekema nyitɔ eveawo adzra nyi gbagbe la, ama ga la, eye woama nyi kuku la hã ƒe lã sɔsɔe.
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.
Ke ne amewo nya be nyi la tua dzo nyi bubuwo, eye wona nyitɔ la nya, gake mekpɔ nyi la dzi nyuie o la, ekema nyitɔ la maxɔ ga si wokpɔ tso nyi gbagbe la dzadzra me ƒe ɖeke o, ke boŋ axe fe ɖe nyi kuku la ta, eye wòazu etɔ.”

< Exodus 21 >