Exodus 21
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New International VersionNew American Standard Bible 1995
1"These are the laws you are to set before them:1"Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:
2"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.2"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment.
3If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him.3"If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If 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.4"If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone.
5"But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,'5"But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,'
6then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.6then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
7"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do.7"If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do.
8If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her.8"If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her.
9If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.9"If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.
10If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.10"If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.
11If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.11"If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12"Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.12"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
13However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate.13"But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.
14But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.14"If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.
15"Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death.15"He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
16"Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper's possession.16"He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.
17"Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.17"He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
18"If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed,18"If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but remains in bed,
19the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.19if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed.
20"Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result,20"If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.
21but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.21"If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.
22"If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows.22"If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.
23But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,23"But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty 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,
25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26"An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye.26"If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.
27And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.27"And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.
28"If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible.28"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 go unpunished.
29If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death.29"If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
30However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.30"If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.
31This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter.31"Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
32If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.32"If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33"If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,33"If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.34the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.
35"If anyone's bull injures someone else's bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally.35"If one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox.
36However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.36"Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.
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Exodus 20
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