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

“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.

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.

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

3 I f he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.

If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 I f 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.

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 by himself.

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

But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’

6 t hen 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.

then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

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

“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

8 I f 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.

If she doesn’t please her master, who has married 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.

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

If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.

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

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

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

If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

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

“One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

13 B ut 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.

but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

14 I f, 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.

If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

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

“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely 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.

“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

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

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

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,

“If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed;

19 i f 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.

if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.

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

“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

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

Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

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.

“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.

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

But if any harm follows, then you must take 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 urn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

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.

“If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

27 A nd if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

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.

“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

29 I f, 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.

But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.

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

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

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

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

32 I f 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.

If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

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,

“If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn’t cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

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

the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

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.

“If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.

36 O r 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.

Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.