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

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

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 and pay 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 comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in 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 by himself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money. The Law Concerning Violence

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

“He who 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.

However, 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.

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 acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

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

“And he who 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.

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

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

“And he who 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 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,

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 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.

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 beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that 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.

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

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

But if any harm 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, stripe for stripe.

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.

“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.

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 the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth. Animal Control Laws

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 acquitted.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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 male or female servant, he 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,

“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,

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 their owner, but the dead animal 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, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide.

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 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.