Exodus 21
1 haec sunt iudicia quae propones eis
“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
2 si emeris servum hebraeum sex annis serviet tibi in septimo egredietur liber gratis
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.
3 cum quali veste intraverit cum tali exeat si habens uxorem et uxor egredietur simul
If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.
4 sin autem dominus dederit illi uxorem et peperit filios et filias mulier et liberi eius erunt domini sui ipse vero exibit cum vestitu suo
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 quod si dixerit servus diligo dominum meum et uxorem ac liberos non egrediar liber
But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’
6 offeret eum dominus diis et adplicabitur ad ostium et postes perforabitque aurem eius subula et erit ei servus in saeculum
then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
7 si quis vendiderit filiam suam in famulam non egredietur sicut ancillae exire consuerunt
And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.
8 si displicuerit oculis domini sui cui tradita fuerit dimittet eam populo autem alieno vendendi non habet potestatem si spreverit eam
If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.
9 sin autem filio suo desponderit eam iuxta morem filiarum faciet illi
And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.
10 quod si alteram ei acceperit providebit puellae nuptias et vestimenta et pretium pudicitiae non negabit
If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
11 si tria ista non fecerit egredietur gratis absque pecunia
If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.
12 qui percusserit hominem volens occidere morte moriatur
Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
13 qui autem non est insidiatus sed Deus illum tradidit in manu eius constituam tibi locum quo fugere debeat
If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
14 si quis de industria occiderit proximum suum et per insidias ab altari meo evelles eum ut moriatur
But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
15 qui percusserit patrem suum et matrem morte moriatur
Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.
16 qui furatus fuerit hominem et vendiderit eum convictus noxae morte moriatur
Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
17 qui maledixerit patri suo et matri morte moriatur
Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.
18 si rixati fuerint viri et percusserit alter proximum suum lapide vel pugno et ille mortuus non fuerit sed iacuerit in lectulo
If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
19 si surrexerit et ambulaverit foris super baculum suum innocens erit qui percussit ita tamen ut operas eius et inpensas in medicos restituat
then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.
20 qui percusserit servum suum vel ancillam virga et mortui fuerint in manibus eius criminis reus erit
If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
21 sin autem uno die supervixerit vel duobus non subiacebit poenae quia pecunia illius est
However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
22 si rixati fuerint viri et percusserit quis mulierem praegnantem et abortivum quidem fecerit sed ipsa vixerit subiacebit damno quantum expetierit maritus mulieris et arbitri iudicarint
If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.
23 sin autem mors eius fuerit subsecuta reddet animam pro anima
But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—
24 oculum pro oculo dentem pro dente manum pro manu pedem pro pede
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 adustionem pro adustione vulnus pro vulnere livorem pro livore
burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
26 si percusserit quispiam oculum servi sui aut ancillae et luscos eos fecerit dimittet liberos pro oculo quem eruit
If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.
27 dentem quoque si excusserit servo vel ancillae suae similiter dimittet eos liberos
And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.
28 si bos cornu petierit virum aut mulierem et mortui fuerint lapidibus obruetur et non comedentur carnes eius dominusque bovis innocens erit
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
29 quod si bos cornipeta fuerit ab heri et nudius tertius et contestati sunt dominum eius nec reclusit eum occideritque virum aut mulierem et bos lapidibus obruetur et dominum illius occident
But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.
30 quod si pretium ei fuerit inpositum dabit pro anima sua quicquid fuerit postulatus
If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.
31 filium quoque et filiam si cornu percusserit simili sententiae subiacebit
If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
32 si servum ancillamque invaserit triginta siclos argenti dabit domino bos vero lapidibus opprimetur
If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.
33 si quis aperuerit cisternam et foderit et non operuerit eam cecideritque bos vel asinus in eam
If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34 dominus cisternae reddet pretium iumentorum quod autem mortuum est ipsius erit
the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.
35 si bos alienus bovem alterius vulnerarit et ille mortuus fuerit vendent bovem vivum et divident pretium cadaver autem mortui inter se dispertient
If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and divide the proceeds; they also must divide the dead animal.
36 sin autem sciebat quod bos cornipeta esset ab heri et nudius tertius et non custodivit eum dominus suus reddet bovem pro bove et cadaver integrum accipiet
But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.
