21 “These are the laws^(A) you are to set before them:

Hebrew Servants^(B)(C)

² “If you buy a Hebrew servant,^(D) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,^(E) without paying anything. ³ If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. ⁴ If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

⁵ “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’^{(F) 6} then his master must take him before the judges.^[a](G) He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce^(H) his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.^(I)

⁷ “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. ⁸ If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself,^[b] he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. ⁹ If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. ¹⁰ If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.^{(J) 11} If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

Personal Injuries

¹² “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.^{(K) 13} However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place^(L) I will designate. ¹⁴ But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately,^(M) that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.^(N)

¹⁵ “Anyone who attacks^[c] their father or mother is to be put to death.

¹⁶ “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death,^(O) whether the victim has been sold^(P) or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.

¹⁷ “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.^(Q)

¹⁸ “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist^[d] and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, ¹⁹ the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.

²⁰ “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, ²¹ but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.^(R)

²² “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely^[e] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands^(S) and the court allows. ²³ But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,^{(T) 24} eye for eye, tooth for tooth,^(U) hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

²⁶ “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. ²⁷ And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

²⁸ “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,^(V) and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. ²⁹ If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up^(W) and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. ³⁰ However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.^{(X) 31} This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. ³² If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels^[f](Y) of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

³³ “If anyone uncovers a pit^(Z) or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, ³⁴ the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.

³⁵ “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. ³⁶ However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up,^(AA) the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.

Protection of Property

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

² “If a thief is caught breaking in^(AC) at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;^{(AD) 3} but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.

“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution,^(AE) but if they have nothing, they must be sold^(AF) to pay for their theft. ⁴ If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession^(AG)—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.^(AH)

⁵ “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^(AI) from the best of their own field or vineyard.

⁶ “If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks^(AJ) of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.^(AK)

⁷ “If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping^(AL) and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.^{(AM) 8} But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,^(AN) and they must^[h] determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. ⁹ 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.^[i](AO) The one whom the judges declare^[j] 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^(AP) 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^(AQ) 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^(AR) 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.^(AS)

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.^{(AT) 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.^(AU)

Social Responsibility

¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin^(AV) who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price,^(AW) 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^(AX) to live.

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

²⁰ “Whoever sacrifices to any god^(AZ) other than the Lord must be destroyed.^[k](BA)

²¹ “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,^(BB) for you were foreigners^(BC) in Egypt.

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

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.^{(BH) 26} If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,^(BI) return it by sunset, ²⁷ because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?^(BJ) When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.^(BK)

²⁸ “Do not blaspheme God^[l](BL) or curse^(BM) the ruler of your people.^(BN)

²⁹ “Do not hold back offerings^(BO) from your granaries or your vats.^[m]

“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.^{(BP) 30} Do the same with your cattle and your sheep.^(BQ) Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.^(BR)

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