23 (A)You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. (B)In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and (C)bless you. 25 (D)If you make me an altar of stone, (E)you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

Laws About Slaves

21 “Now these are the (F)rules that you shall set before them. (G)When you buy a Hebrew slave,[a] he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. But (H)if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to (I)God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

“When a man (J)sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her[b] for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or (K)her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

12 (L)“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 13 (M)But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then (N)I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, (O)you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

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

16 (P)“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found (Q)in possession of him, shall be put to death.

17 (R)“Whoever curses[c] his father or his mother shall be put to death.

18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, 19 then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.

20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the (S)slave is his money.

22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and (T)he shall pay as the (U)judges determine. 23 But if there is harm,[d] then you shall pay (V)life for life, 24 (W)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the (X)ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. 29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If (Y)a ransom is imposed on him, then (Z)he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. 31 If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master (AA)thirty shekels[e] of silver, and (AB)the ox shall be stoned.

Laws About Restitution

33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.

35 “When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

22 [f] “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and (AC)four sheep for a sheep. [g] If a thief is found (AD)breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He[h] shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then (AE)he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast (AF)is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, (AG)he shall pay double.

“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

“If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, (AH)he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.

10 “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, 11 (AI)an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12 But if (AJ)it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.

14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15 If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.[i]

Laws About Social Justice

16 (AK)“If a man seduces a virgin[j] who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price[k] for her and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, (AL)he shall pay money equal to the (AM)bride-price for virgins.

18 (AN)“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

19 (AO)“Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

20 (AP)“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.[l]

21 (AQ)“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 (AR)You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they (AS)cry out to me, I will surely (AT)hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and (AU)your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

25 (AV)“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 (AW)If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he (AX)cries to me, I will hear, for I am (AY)compassionate.

28 (AZ)“You shall not revile God, nor (BA)curse a ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. (BB)The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. 30 (BC)You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: (BD)seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

31 (BE)“You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore (BF)you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; (BG)you shall throw it to the dogs.

23 (BH)“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a (BI)malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, (BJ)nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

(BK)“If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

(BL)“You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. (BM)Keep far from a false charge, and (BN)do not kill the innocent and righteous, for (BO)I will not acquit the wicked. (BP)And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

(BQ)“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Laws About the Sabbath and Festivals

10 (BR)“For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

12 (BS)“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

13 (BT)“Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:2 Or servant; the Hebrew term ‘ebed designates a range of social and economic roles; also verses 5, 6, 7, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32 (see Preface)
  2. Exodus 21:8 Or so that he has not designated her
  3. Exodus 21:17 Or dishonors; Septuagint reviles
  4. Exodus 21:23 Or so that her children come out and it is clear who was to blame, he shall be fined as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he alone shall pay. 23If it is unclear who was to blame…
  5. Exodus 21:32 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  6. Exodus 22:1 Ch 21:37 in Hebrew
  7. Exodus 22:2 Ch 22:1 in Hebrew
  8. Exodus 22:3 That is, the thief
  9. Exodus 22:15 Or it is reckoned in (Hebrew comes into) its hiring fee
  10. Exodus 22:16 Or a girl of marriageable age; also verse 17
  11. Exodus 22:16 Or engagement present; also verse 17
  12. Exodus 22:20 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)

23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me;(A) do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.(B)

24 “‘Make an altar(C) of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings(D) and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name(E) to be honored, I will come to you and bless(F) you. 25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool(G) on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts(H) may be exposed.’

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

Hebrew Servants(J)(K)

“If you buy a Hebrew servant,(L) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,(M) without paying anything. 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. 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.

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

“If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. 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. 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.(R) 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.(S) 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place(T) I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately,(U) that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.(V)

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,(W) whether the victim has been sold(X) or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.

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

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.(Z)

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(AA) and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,(AB) 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,(AC) 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,(AD) 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(AE) 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.(AF) 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](AG) of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

33 “If anyone uncovers a pit(AH) 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,(AI) 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(AJ) five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

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

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

“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(AQ) from the best of their own field or vineyard.

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

“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping(AT) and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.(AU) But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,(AV) and they must[h] 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.[i](AW) 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(AX) 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(AY) 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(AZ) 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.(BA)

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.(BB) 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.(BC)

Social Responsibility

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 “Do not blaspheme God[l](BT) or curse(BU) the ruler of your people.(BV)

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

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

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

Laws of Justice and Mercy

23 “Do not spread false reports.(CC) Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.(CD)

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(CE) by siding with the crowd,(CF) and do not show favoritism(CG) to a poor person in a lawsuit.

“If you come across your enemy’s(CH) ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.(CI) If you see the donkey(CJ) of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

“Do not deny justice(CK) to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge(CL) and do not put an innocent(CM) or honest person to death,(CN) for I will not acquit the guilty.(CO)

“Do not accept a bribe,(CP) for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.

“Do not oppress a foreigner;(CQ) you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Sabbath Laws

10 “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused.(CR) Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

12 “Six days do your work,(CS) but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.(CT)

13 “Be careful(CU) to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods;(CV) do not let them be heard on your lips.(CW)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:6 Or before God
  2. Exodus 21:8 Or master so that he does not choose her
  3. Exodus 21:15 Or kills
  4. Exodus 21:18 Or with a tool
  5. Exodus 21:22 Or she has a miscarriage
  6. Exodus 21:32 That is, about 12 ounces or about 345 grams
  7. Exodus 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1 is numbered 21:37, and 22:2-31 is numbered 22:1-30.
  8. Exodus 22:8 Or before God, and he will
  9. Exodus 22:9 Or before God
  10. Exodus 22:9 Or whom God declares
  11. Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  12. Exodus 22:28 Or Do not revile the judges
  13. Exodus 22:29 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.