Exodus 21
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New King James VersionChristian Standard Bible
1“Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them:1"These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
2If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.2"When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything.
3If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.3If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with a wife, his wife is to leave with him.
4If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne 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 she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.
5But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’5"But if the slave declares, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,'
6then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.6his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.
7“And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.7"When a man sells his daughter as a concubine, she is not to leave as the male slaves do.
8If she does not please her master, who has betrothed 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.8If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her.
9And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.9Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters.
10If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights.10If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.
11And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.11And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any payment.
12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.12"Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.
13However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.13But if he did not intend any harm, and yet God allowed it to happen, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.
14“But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.14If a person schemes and willfully acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from my altar to be put to death.
15“And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.15"Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.
16“He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.16"Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.
17“And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.17"Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.
18“If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,18"When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed,
19if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed.19if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time and provide for his complete recovery.
20“And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.20"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, the owner must be punished.
21Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property.21However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his owner's property.
22“If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.22"When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.
23But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,23If there is an injury, then you must 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,
25burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.25burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.
26“If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.26"When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.
27And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.27If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.
28“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.28"When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox's owner is innocent.
29But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.29However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.
30If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.30If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.
31Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.31If it gores a son or a daughter, he is to be dealt with according to this same law.
32If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.32If the ox gores a male or female slave, he must give thirty shekels of silver to the slave's master, and the ox must be stoned.
33“And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,33"When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his.34the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.
35“If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide.35"When a man's ox injures his neighbor's ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.
36Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.36If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Exodus 20
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