1 N ow these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

“Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

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

“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.

3 I f he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

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.

4 I f his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

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

But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’

6 t hen his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

then 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 A nd if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

“ If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do.

8 I f she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

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.

9 A nd if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

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

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

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

11 A nd if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

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

12 H e that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

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

13 A nd 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.

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

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 A nd he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

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

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

“ He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

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

“ He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 A nd if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

“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,

19 i f 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.

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

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

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

If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

22 I f men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

“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.

23 A nd if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,

24 e ye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

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

25 b urning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

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

26 A nd if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

“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.

27 A nd if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

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 I f an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

“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.

29 B ut if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

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.

30 I f there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

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

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

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

32 I f the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

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 A nd 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;

“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,

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

the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

35 A nd if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

“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.

36 O r if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

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.