Exodus 21

1Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.

1Now these are the laws which you are to put before them.

1Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.

2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

2If you get a Hebrew servant for money, he is to be your servant for six years, and in the seventh year you are to let him go free without payment.

2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.

3If he comes to you by himself, let him go away by himself: if he is married, let his wife go away with him.

3If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4If his master give him a wife and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

4If his master gives him a wife, and he gets sons or daughters by her, the wife and her children will be the property of the master, and the servant is to go away by himself.

4If his master give him a wife and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

5But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

5But if the servant says clearly, My master and my wife and children are dear to me; I have no desire to be free:

5But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

6Then his master is to take him to the gods of the house, and at the door, or at its framework, he is to make a hole in his ear with a sharp-pointed instrument; and he will be his servant for ever.

6then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.

7And if a man gives his daughter for a price to be a servant, she is not to go away free as the men-servants do.

7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.

8If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

8If she is not pleasing to her master who has taken her for himself, let a payment be made for her so that she may go free; her master has no power to get a price for her and send her to a strange land, because he has been false to her.

8If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

9And if he espouse her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

9And if he gives her to his son, he is to do everything for her as if she was his daughter.

9And if he espouse her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

10And if he takes another woman, her food and clothing and her married rights are not to be less.

10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

11And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.

11And if he does not do these three things for her, she has the right to go free without payment.

11And if he do not these three things unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.

12He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death.

12He who gives a man a death-blow is himself to be put to death.

12He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death.

13And 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.

13But if he had no evil purpose against him, and God gave him into his hand, I will give you a place to which he may go in flight.

13And 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.

14And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

14But if a man makes an attack on his neighbour on purpose, to put him to death by deceit, you are to take him from my altar and put him to death.

14And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

15Any man who gives a blow to his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.

15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

16Any man who gets another into his power in order to get a price for him is to be put to death, if you take him in the act.

16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

17Any man cursing his father or his mother is to be put to death.

17And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed;

18If, in a fight, one man gives another a blow with a stone, or with the shut hand, not causing his death, but making him keep in bed;

18And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed;

19if 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.

19If he is able to get up again and go about with a stick, the other will be let off; only he will have to give him payment for the loss of his time, and see that he is cared for till he is well.

19if 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.

20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall surely be punished.

20If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant blows with a rod, causing death, he is certainly to undergo punishment.

20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall surely be punished.

21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

21But, at the same time, if the servant goes on living for a day or two, the master is not to get punishment, for the servant is his property.

21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

22And 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.

22If men, while fighting, do damage to a woman with child, causing the loss of the child, but no other evil comes to her, the man will have to make payment up to the amount fixed by her husband, in agreement with the decision of the judges.

22And 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.

23But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

23But if damage comes to her, let life be given in payment for life,

23But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

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

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

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

25burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

25Burning for burning, wound for wound, blow for blow.

25burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

26If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant a blow in the eye, causing its destruction, he is to let him go free on account of the damage to his eye.

26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

27And if he smite out his man-servant’s tooth, or his maid-servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

27Or if the loss of a tooth is caused by his blow, he will let him go free on account of his tooth.

27And if he smite out his man-servant’s tooth, or his maid-servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

28And if an ox gore a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

28If an ox comes to be the cause of death to a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned, and its flesh may not be used for food; but the owner will not be judged responsible.

28And if an ox gore a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

29But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and it hath been testified to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

29But if the ox has frequently done such damage in the past, and the owner has had word of it and has not kept it under control, so that it has been the cause of the death of a man or woman, not only is the ox to be stoned, but its owner is to be put to death.

29But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and it hath been testified to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

30If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

30If a price is put on his life, let him make payment of whatever price is fixed.

30If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

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

31If the death of a son or of a daughter has been caused, the punishment is to be in agreement with this rule.

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

32If the ox gore a man-servant or a maid-servant, there shall be given unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

32If the death of a man-servant or of a woman-servant is caused by the ox, the owner is to give their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox is to be stoned.

32If the ox gore a man-servant or a maid-servant, there shall be given unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33And 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,

33If a man makes a hole in the earth without covering it up, and an ox or an ass dropping into it comes to its death;

33And 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,

34the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money unto the owner thereof, and the dead beast shall be his.

34The owner of the hole is responsible; he will have to make payment to their owner, but the dead beast will be his.

34the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money unto the owner thereof, and the dead beast shall be his.

35And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, so that it dieth, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it; and the dead also they shall divide.

35And if one man's ox does damage to another man's ox, causing its death, then the living ox is to be exchanged for money, and division made of the price of it, and of the price of the dead one.

35And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, so that it dieth, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it; and the dead also they shall divide.

36Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.

36But if it is common knowledge that the ox has frequently done such damage in the past, and its owner has not kept it under control, he will have to give ox for ox; and the dead beast will be his.

36Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.