1 “ Now these are the Laws which you are to give them.

Now these are the ordinances you shall set before.

2 I f you buy a Hebrew servant, he will work for six years. In the seventh year he will go free, paying nothing.

If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, paying nothing.

3 I f he comes alone, he will leave by himself. If he is married, then his wife will leave with him.

If he came by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he came married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 I f his owner gives him a wife and she gives birth to his sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her owner, and he will leave by himself.

If 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 alone.

5 B ut if the servant says, ‘I love my owner, my wife and my children; I do not care to go free,’

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

6 t hen his owner will bring him to the judges. And he will bring him to the door or the side of the door. There his owner will make a hole in his ear with a sharp object. And he will serve him all his life.

Then his master shall bring him to God; he shall bring him to the door or doorpost and shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him for life.

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

If a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant or bondwoman, she shall not go out as menservants do.

8 I f she does not please her owner who has taken her for himself, he will take pay for her to be set free. He does not have the right to sell her to a strange people, because he has not been fair to her.

If she does not please her master who has not espoused her to himself, he shall let her be redeemed. To sell her to a foreign people he shall have no power, for he has dealt faithlessly with her.

9 I f he takes her for his son, he will act toward her as with a daughter.

And if he espouses her to his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.

10 I f he marries again, her food, clothing and marriage rights are to stay the same.

If he marries again, her food, clothing, and privilege as a wife shall he not diminish.

11 A nd if he will not do these three things for her, then she may go free, without paying any money. Laws about Fighting and Killing

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

12 “ Whoever hits a man so that he dies will be put to death.

Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

13 B ut if he did not plan to hurt him, but God allowed it to happen, then I will give you a place where he may run to be safe.

But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God allowed him to fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.

14 B ut if a man wants to hurt his neighbor and he plans to kill him, then you take him away from My altar and put him to death.

But if a man comes willfully upon another to slay him craftily, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

15 “ Whoever hits his father or his mother will be put to death.

Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

16 “ Whoever steals a man and sells him, or keeps him for himself, will be put to death.

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

17 W hoever curses his father or his mother will be put to death.

Whoever curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 “ When men argue and one hits the other with a stone or with his hand, and he does not die but has to stay in bed because of it,

If men quarrel and one strikes another with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but keeps his bed,

19 t hen if he gets up and walks around outside using his walking stick, the one who hit him will not be punished. He will only pay for the loss of his time. And he will take care of him until he is healed.

If he rises again and walks about leaning upon his staff, then he that struck him shall be clear, except he must pay for the loss of his time and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

20 “ When a man hits his male or female servant with a stick so that he or she dies, he will be punished.

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

21 B ut if he or she lives a day or two, he will not be punished, for his servant belongs to him.

But if the servant lives on for a day or two, the offender shall not be punished, for he his own property.

22 “ If men fight with each other and hit a woman who is going to have a child so that she loses her baby but no other hurt comes to her, he must pay whatever the woman’s husband says he must, as agreed upon by the judges.

If men contend with each other, and a pregnant woman is hurt so that she has a miscarriage, yet no further damage follows, shall surely be punished with a fine to the woman’s husband, as much as the judges determine.

23 B ut if there is other hurt also, then it is life for life,

But if any damage follows, then you shall give 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, cut for cut, sore for sore.

Burn for burn, wound for wound, and lash for lash.

26 “ If a man hits the eye of his male or female servant and destroys it, he will let the person go free because of the eye.

And if a man hits the eye of his servant or the eye of his maid so that it is destroyed, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

27 I f he knocks out a tooth of his man or woman servant, he will let the person go free because of the tooth. Laws about Owning Animals

And if he knocks out his manservant’s tooth or his maidservant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

28 “ When a bull kills a man or a woman with its horns, the bull will be killed with stones. And its flesh will not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be punished.

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 clear.

29 B ut if a bull has tried to kill with its horns before, and the owner has been told but does not keep him shut up, and the bull kills a man or a woman, the bull will be killed with stones and the owner will be put to death.

But if the ox has tried to gore before, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it closed in and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also put to death.

30 B ut if he is allowed to pay for his life, then he will pay whatever is asked of him.

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

31 I f the bull kills a son or a daughter, it will be punished by the same law.

If the has gored another’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.

32 I f the bull kills a male or female servant, the bull’s owner will give the servant’s owner thirty pieces of silver. And the bull will be killed with stones.

If the ox gores a manservant or a maidservant, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 “ When a man leaves a deep hole open, or digs a deep hole and does not cover it, and a bull or donkey falls into it,

If a man leaves a pit open or digs a pit and does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34 t he owner of the hole will pay for the loss. He will give money to the animal’s owner. And the dead animal will become his.

The owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to the animal’s owner, but the dead beast shall be his.

35 “ If one man’s bull hurts another’s so that it dies, they will sell the live bull and divide the price so they will each have the same. And they will divide the dead bull.

If one man’s ox hurts another’s so that it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide the price of it; the dead ox also they shall divide between them.

36 O r if it is known that the bull has tried to kill with its horns in the past, but its owner has not kept it shut up, he will pay bull for bull. And the dead animal will become his.

Or if it is known that the ox has gored in the past, and its owner has not kept it closed in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.