Exodus 21 Parallel Bible Translations

Exodus 21 ▼
swipe to see more →
NLT
New Living Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 “These are the regulations you must present to Israel. “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. “These are the laws you are to set before them:
2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. “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 If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him.
4 “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. 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 But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’
6 If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. then 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.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do.
8 If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. If 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.
9 But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.
10 “If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.
11 If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.
12 “Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.
13 But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate.
14 However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.
15 “Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death. “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. “Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death.
16 “Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves. “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
17 “Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.
18 “Now suppose two men quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured person does not die but is confined to bed. “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, “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,
19 If he is later able to walk outside again, even with a crutch, the assailant will not be punished but must compensate his victim for lost wages and provide for his full recovery. then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed. the 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.
20 “If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished. “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result,
21 But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money. but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.
22 “Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. “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.
23 But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,
24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise. burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26 “If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. “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.
27 And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.
28 “If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable. “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. “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.
29 But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If, 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.
30 However, the dead person’s relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.
31 “The same regulation applies if the ox gores a boy or a girl. If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter.
32 But if the ox gores a slave, either male or female, the animal’s owner must pay the slave’s owner thirty silver coins, and the ox must be stoned. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. If 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.
33 “Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it. “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, “If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34 The owner of the pit must pay full compensation to the owner of the animal, but then he gets to keep the dead animal. the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his. the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.
35 “If someone’s ox injures a neighbor’s ox and the injured ox dies, then the two owners must sell the live ox and divide the price equally between them. They must also divide the dead animal. “When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. “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.
36 But if the ox had a reputation for goring, yet its owner failed to keep it under control, he must pay full compensation—a live ox for the dead one—but he may keep the dead ox. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his. However, 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page