New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1“Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them:

1"Now these are the ordinances which 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"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 in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out 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 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.

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.

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 plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out 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.

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“And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves 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 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.

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.

9And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.

9"If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.

10If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights.

10"If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.

11And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

11"If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

12"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely 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.

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.

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.

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“And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

15"He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely 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"He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

17“And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

17"He who curses his father or his mother shall surely 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"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,

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 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“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"If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.

21Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property.

21"If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his 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"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 any harm follows, then you shall give 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, stripe for stripe.

25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

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"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 if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his 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 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"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.

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.

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.

30If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.

30"If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.

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

31"Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.

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.

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“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"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 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 shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall 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"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.

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.

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.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org