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22 (21:37) If a ganav takes a shor, or a seh, and slaughter it, or sell it; he shall restore five cattle for an ox, and the seh.

(1) If a ganav be caught breaking in, and be struck down so that he die, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.

(2) If the shemesh be risen upon him, there shall be guilt of bloodshed; the ganav should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then the ganav shall be sold to make restitution for his theft.

(3) If the theft be certainly found in his yad chayyim, whether it be ox, or donkey, or seh; he shall pay back double.

(4) If a man shall allow livestock to graze over a sadeh or kerem (vineyard), or he lets it loose and it graze over the sadeh of another, then from the best of his own sadeh, and of the best of his own kerem (vineyard), shall he make restitution.

(5) If eish break out, and spreads in kotzim (thorns), so that the stacks of grain, or the standing grain, or the sadeh, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the eish shall surely make restitution.

(6) If an ish shall give unto his re’a kesef or vessels to be shomer over, and it be stolen out of the bais haish; if the ganav be found, let him pay back double.

(7) If the ganav be not found, then the ba’al habais shall be brought before HaElohim, to see whether he has put his yad on the property of his neighbor.

(8) For all manner of pesha (trespass, liability), whether it be for ox, for donkey, for seh, for clothing, or for any manner of avedah (lost property, missing thing) which another says, This is it, the case of both shall come before HaElohim; and whom Elohim shall condemn, he shall pay back double unto his re’a.

10 (9) If an ish deliver unto his re’a a donkey, or an ox, or a seh, or any behemah, to be shomer over; and it die, or be injured, or carried away, with no eye witness;

11 (10) Then shall a shevuat Hashem be between them both, that he hath not laid his yad on the property of his re’a; and the property’s ba’al shall accept thereof, and he shall not make restitution.

12 (11) And if it be certainly stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the ba’al thereof.

13 (12) If it be indeed tarof (torn by a wild animal, predator), then let him bring it for ed (witness), and he shall not make restitution for the terefah (torn animal).

14 (13) And if an ish asks to borrow of his re’a, and the animal borrowed be injured, or die, the ba’al thereof being not with it, he shall surely make restitution.

15 (14) But if the ba’al thereof be with it, he shall not make restitution; if it be sakhir (rented, hired), it came for its hire.

16 (15) And if an ish entice a betulah that is not orasah (betrothed, pledged), and lie with her, he shall surely endow her with a marriage contract as his isha.

17 (16) If her av utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay kesef according to the mohar habetulah (marriage contract, dowry of the virgins).

18 (17) Thou shalt not allow a mekhashefah (witch, sorceress) to live.

19 (18) Kol shochev (every one having sexual relations) with a behemah shall surely be put to death.

20 (19) He that sacrificeth unto elohim (the g-ds), other than unto Hashem only, he shall be destroyed.

21 (20) Thou shalt neither mistreat a ger, nor oppress him; for ye were gerim in Eretz Mitzrayim.

22 (21) Ye shall not cause pain to any almanah, or yatom.

23 (22) If thou cause them pain in any way, and they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry;

24 (23) And My wrath shall be kindled, and I will kill you with the cherev; and your nashim shall be almanot, and your banim shall be yetomim.

25 (24) If thou lend kesef to any of My people that is poor among thee, thou shalt not be to him as a nosheh (a usurer), neither shalt thou lay upon him neshekh (usury, interest).

26 (25) If thou at all take the cloak of thy re’a as security, thou shalt return it unto him by bo hashemesh (sunset);

27 (26) For that is his covering only, it is his cloak for his skin; wherein shall he sleep? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto Me, that I will hear; for I am channun (compassionate).

28 (27) Thou shalt not revile Elohim, nor curse the nasi of thy people.

29 (28) Thou shalt not delay to offer thy fullness offering (i.e., bikkurim) or thy kohen’s heave offering (i.e. terumah); the bechor of thy banim shalt thou present unto Me.

30 (29) Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy tzon; shivat yamim it shall be with its em; on the yom hashemi’ni thou shalt give it Me.

31 (30) And ye shall be anshei kodesh unto Me; neither shall ye eat any basar that is terefah (torn of beasts) in the sadeh; ye shall cast it to the kelev (dog).

Protection of Property

22 [a]“Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back(A) five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

“If a thief is caught breaking in(B) at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;(C) but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.

“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution,(D) but if they have nothing, they must be sold(E) to pay for their theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession(F)—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.(G)

“If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitution(H) from the best of their own field or vineyard.

“If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks(I) of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.(J)

“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping(K) and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.(L) But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,(M) and they must[b] determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges.[c](N) The one whom the judges declare[d] guilty must pay back double to the other.

10 “If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbor for safekeeping(O) and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath(P) before the Lord that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. 12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, restitution(Q) must be made to the owner. 13 If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the neighbor shall bring in the remains as evidence and shall not be required to pay for the torn animal.(R)

14 “If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution.(S) 15 But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.(T)

Social Responsibility

16 “If a man seduces a virgin(U) who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price,(V) and she shall be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.

18 “Do not allow a sorceress(W) to live.

19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal(X) is to be put to death.

20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god(Y) other than the Lord must be destroyed.[e](Z)

21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,(AA) for you were foreigners(AB) in Egypt.

22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.(AC) 23 If you do and they cry out(AD) to me, I will certainly hear their cry.(AE) 24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.(AF)

25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.(AG) 26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,(AH) return it by sunset, 27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?(AI) When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.(AJ)

28 “Do not blaspheme God[f](AK) or curse(AL) the ruler of your people.(AM)

29 “Do not hold back offerings(AN) from your granaries or your vats.[g]

“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.(AO) 30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep.(AP) Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.(AQ)

31 “You are to be my holy people.(AR) So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts;(AS) throw it to the dogs.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1 is numbered 21:37, and 22:2-31 is numbered 22:1-30.
  2. Exodus 22:8 Or before God, and he will
  3. Exodus 22:9 Or before God
  4. Exodus 22:9 Or whom God declares
  5. Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  6. Exodus 22:28 Or Do not revile the judges
  7. Exodus 22:29 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.