Exodus 21
King James Version
21 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If 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.
5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 Then 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.
7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8 If 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.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
13 And 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.
14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
19 If 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.
20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
22 If 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.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 And 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.
27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
28 If 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.
29 But 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.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 If 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.
33 And 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;
34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
35 And 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.
36 Or 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.
Exodus 21
The Message
21 “These are the laws that you are to place before them:
2-6 “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The seventh year he goes free, for nothing. If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. But suppose the slave should say, ‘I love my master and my wife and children—I don’t want my freedom,’ then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.
7-11 “When a man sells his daughter to be a handmaid, she doesn’t go free after six years like the men. If she doesn’t please her master, her family must buy her back; her master doesn’t have the right to sell her to foreigners since he broke his word to her. If he turns her over to his son, he has to treat her like a daughter. If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations. If he won’t do any of these three things for her, she goes free, for nothing.
12-14 “If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an ‘act of God’—I’ll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it’s from my Altar, to be put to death.
15 “If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death.
16 “If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession.
17 “If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death.
18-19 “If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn’t die but is confined to bed and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery.
20-21 “If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he’s not to be avenged—the slave is the owner’s property.
22-25 “When there’s a fight and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries but is not otherwise hurt, the one responsible has to pay whatever the husband demands in compensation. But if there is further damage, then you must give life for life—eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26-27 “If a slave owner hits the eye of a slave or handmaid and ruins it, the owner must let the slave go free because of the eye. If the owner knocks out the tooth of the male or female slave, the slave must be released and go free because of the tooth.
28-32 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear. But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty. If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life. If a son or daughter is gored, the same judgment holds. If it is a slave or a handmaid the ox gores, thirty shekels of silver is to be paid to the owner and the ox stoned.
33-34 “If someone uncovers a cistern or digs a pit and leaves it open and an ox or donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal.
35-36 “If someone’s ox injures a neighbor’s ox and the ox dies, they must sell the live ox and split the price; they must also split the dead animal. But if the ox had a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, the owner must pay an ox for an ox but can keep the dead animal.”
Exodus 21
21st Century King James Version
21 “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them:
2 If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he was married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 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 And if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’
6 then his master shall bring him unto the judges. He shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.
7 “And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8 If 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.
9 And if he has betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10 If he take for himself another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish.
11 And if he does not do these three unto her, then shall she go out free, without money.
12 “He that smiteth a man so that he die shall be surely put to death.
13 And 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.
14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die.
15 “And he that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.
16 “And he that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he shall be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17 “And he that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
18 “And if men strive together and one smite another with a stone or with his fist, and he die not but keepeth to his bed,
19 if he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be acquitted; he shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
20 “And if a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall be surely punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his money.
22 “If men strive and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no misfortune follow, he shall be surely punished according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any misfortune follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 “And 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.
27 And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth or his maidservant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
28 “If an ox gore a man or a woman, so 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 acquitted.
29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in times past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in so that he hath killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and his owner also shall be put to death.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31 Whether he hath gored a son or hath gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 If 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.
33 “And 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,
34 the owner of the pit shall make it good and give money unto the owner of them, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, so that he die, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it, and the dead ox also they shall divide.
36 Or if it be known that the ox used to push in times past and his owner hath not kept him in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead shall be his own.
Exodus 21
New Life Version
Laws about Servants
21 “Now these are the Laws which you are to give them. 2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he will work for six years. In the seventh year he will go free, paying nothing. 3 If he comes alone, he will leave by himself. If he is married, then his wife will leave with him. 4 If 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. 5 But if the servant says, ‘I love my owner, my wife and my children; I do not care to go free,’ 6 then 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.
7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she is not to go free as the male servants do. 8 If 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. 9 If he takes her for his son, he will act toward her as with a daughter. 10 If he marries again, her food, clothing and marriage rights are to stay the same. 11 And if he will not do these three things for her, then she may go free, without paying any money.
Laws about Fighting and Killing
12 “Whoever hits a man so that he dies will be put to death. 13 But 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. 14 But 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.
15 “Whoever hits his father or his mother will be put to death.
16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, or keeps him for himself, will be put to death. 17 Whoever curses his father or his mother will 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, 19 then 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.
20 “When a man hits his male or female servant with a stick so that he or she dies, he will be punished. 21 But if he or she lives a day or two, he will not be punished, for his servant belongs to him.
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. 23 But if there is other hurt also, then it is life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, cut for cut, sore for sore.
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. 27 If 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
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. 29 But 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. 30 But if he is allowed to pay for his life, then he will pay whatever is asked of him. 31 If the bull kills a son or a daughter, it will be punished by the same law. 32 If 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.
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, 34 the 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.
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. 36 Or 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.
Exodus 21
Wycliffe Bible
21 These be the dooms, which thou shalt set forth to them. (These be the laws, which thou shalt set forth to them.)
2 If thou buyest an Hebrew servant, he shall serve thee six years; in the seventh year he shall go out free, without price; (If thou buyest a Hebrew slave, he shall serve thee for six years; then in the seventh year he shall go out free, without payment of any money;)
3 with what manner cloak he entered, with such cloak go he out; if he entered having a wife, also the wife shall go out together with him.
4 But if the lord of a servant gave a wife to him, and she childed sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall be her lord’s; soothly the servant shall go out with his own cloth. (But if the lord of a slave gave a wife to him, and she bare him sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall be her lord’s; the slave shall go out free with only his own cloak.)
5 And if the servant saith, I love my lord, and my wife, and children, I will not go out free; (And if the slave saith, I love my lord, and my wife, and my children, and I shall not go out free;)
6 his lord shall bring him to [the] gods, that is, (to the) judges; and he shall be set to the door, and to the posts; and his lord shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall be servant to him till into the world. (then his lord shall bring him to the judges; and he shall put him up against the door, or the door-post; and his lord shall pierce his ear with an awl, and then he shall be his slave forevermore.)
7 If any man selleth his daughter into a servantess, she shall not go out as handmaids were wont to go out; (If any man selleth his daughter to be a slave-girl, she shall not go out free like slaves can go out free;)
8 if she displeaseth in the eyes of her lord, to whom she was betaken, he shall deliver her; soothly he shall not have power, (or the right,) to sell her to an alien people, if he forsaketh her. (yea, if she displeaseth in the eyes of her lord, to whom she was delivered, then he shall sell her back to her father; and he shall not have the power, or the right, to sell her to a foreign people, if he forsaketh her.)
9 Forsooth if he weddeth her to his son, he shall do to her by the custom of daughters (he shall treat her like a daughter);
10 and if he take with this handmaid another woman, or wife, to his son, he shall purvey to the (first) damsel, or handmaid, weddings, and clothes, and he shall not deny her the price of (her) chastity, that is, the hour of yielding debt. (but if he get another wife, besides this woman, for his son, he shall still give this young woman her wedding, and her clothes, and he shall not deny her the rights of her marriage bed.)
11 If he doeth not to her these three (things), she shall go out freely without money. (And if he giveth her not these three things, then she shall go out free without payment of any money.)
12 He that smiteth a man, and will slay him, die he by death; (He who striketh a man, and killeth him, shall be put to death;)
13 forsooth if a man setteth not ambush, but God betook him into his hands, I shall ordain a place to thee (I shall ordain a place for thee), whither he oughteth to flee.
14 If any man slayeth his neighbour by before-casting, and by ambush, draw thou him away from mine altar, that he die (and put him to death).
15 He that smiteth his father, or his mother, die he by death. (He who striketh his father, or his mother, shall be put to death.)
16 He that curseth his father, or mother, die he by death. (He who curseth his father, or his mother, shall be put to death.)
17 He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, if he is convicted of the guilt, die he by death (shall be put to death).
18 If men chide, and the tother smite his neighbour with a stone, or with the fist, and he is not dead, but lieth in the bed,
19 if he riseth (up), and goeth forth on his staff, he that smote (him) shall be innocent; so nevertheless that he restore (to him for) his travails, and his costs in leaches (and his expenses for physicians).
20 He that smiteth his servant, or handmaid, with a rod, and they be dead in his hands, he shall be guilty of the crime, or hideous trespass. (He who striketh his slave, or his slave-girl, with a rod, and they die by his hands, he shall be guilty of a crime, or of a hideous trespass.)
21 Soothly if the servant liveth over this beating one day, or twain, the smiter shall not be subject to the pain of death, for the servant is his master’s chattel.
22 If men chide, and a man smiteth a woman with child, and soothly he maketh the child dead-born, but the woman liveth over that smiting, he shall be subject to the harm (he shall be subject to a fine), as much as the woman’s husband asketh (for), and as the judges deem (appropriate).
23 Soothly if the death of her followeth (And if her death followeth), he shall yield life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burning for burning, wound for wound, sore for sore.
26 If a man smiteth the eye of his servant, either of his handmaid, and maketh them one-eyed, he shall deliver them free for the eye which he put out (he shall let them go out free for the eye which he hath put out).
27 Also if he smite out a tooth of his servant, or (of) [his] handmaid, in like manner he shall deliver them free (likewise he shall let them go out free).
28 If an ox smiteth with his horn either man, or woman, and they be dead, the ox shall be thrown down with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten, and the lord of the ox shall be guiltless. (If an ox striketh with his horn a man, or a woman, unto the death, the ox shall be thrown down with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the lord of the ox shall be guiltless.)
29 That if the ox was an horn-putter from yesterday and the third day ago, and men warned his lord, (yet) neither the lord closed him, and he slayeth a man, or a woman, both the ox shall be thrown adown with stones, and they shall slay his lord; (But if the ox was a horn-putter from yesterday and the third day ago, and men had warned his lord, but his lord did not enclose him, and he killeth a man, or a woman, the ox shall be thrown down with stones, and they shall also kill his lord;)
30 that if the price be put to the lord, he shall give for his life whatever he is asked. (but if a fine be put on the ox’s lord, he shall give whatever he is asked for, as the ransom for his life.)
31 And if he smiteth with (his) horn a man’s son, and his daughter (And if the ox striketh with his horn a man’s son, or his daughter), his lord shall be subject to the same sentence.
32 If the ox assaileth a manservant, and an handmaid, the lord of the ox shall give thirty shekels of silver to the lord of that servant; forsooth the ox shall be oppressed with stones. (But if the ox assaileth a slave, or a slave-girl, the ox’s lord shall give thirty shekels of silver to their lord, and the ox shall be thrown down with stones.)
33 If any man openeth a cistern, or a pit, and diggeth it, and covereth it not, and an ox either an ass falleth into it, (If anyone openeth a cistern, or a well, and diggeth it, and covereth it not up, and an ox or a donkey falleth into it,)
34 the lord of the cistern shall yield the price of the beasts (the lord of the cistern shall pay the fair value for the beast); forsooth that that is dead shall be his.
35 If one man’s ox woundeth the ox of another man, and he is dead, they shall sell the quick ox, and they shall part the price (If one person’s ox woundeth another person’s ox, and it dieth, they shall sell the living ox, and they shall evenly divide the price); soothly they shall part betwixt them(selves) the carcass of the dead ox.
36 Forsooth if the lord knew, that his ox was a (horn)-putter from yesterday and the third day ago, and kept not him (and did not keep him in), he shall yield (another) ox for (the dead) ox, and he shall take the whole dead carcass.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
2001 by Terence P. Noble