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Exodus 21:1-23:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Exodus 21:1-23:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Law concerning Slaves
21 “These are the ordinances that you shall set before them:(A)
2 “When you buy a male Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, but in the seventh he shall go out a free person, without debt.(B) 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 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. 5 But if the slave declares, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out a free person,’ 6 then his master shall bring him before God. He shall be brought to the door or the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him for life.(C)
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.(D) 8 If she does not please her master, who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt unfairly with her. 9 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 the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.[a](E) 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out without debt, without payment of money.
The Law concerning Violence
12 “Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death.(F) 13 If it was not premeditated but came about by an act of God, then I will appoint for you a place to which the killer may flee.(G) 14 But if someone willfully attacks and kills another by treachery, you shall take the killer from my altar for execution.(H)
15 “Whoever strikes father or mother shall be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether that person has been sold or is still held in possession, shall be put to death.(I)
17 “Whoever curses father or mother shall be put to death.(J)
18 “When individuals quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist so that the injured party, though not dead, is confined to bed 19 but recovers and walks around outside with the help of a staff, then the assailant shall be free of liability, except to pay for the loss of time and to arrange for full recovery.
20 “When a slaveowner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, there is no punishment, for the slave is the owner’s property.(K)
22 “When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,(L) 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,(M) 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 “When a slaveowner strikes the eye of a male or female slave, destroying it, the owner shall let the slave go, a free person, to compensate for the eye. 27 If the owner knocks out a tooth of a male or female slave, the slave shall be let go, a free person, to compensate for the tooth.
Laws concerning Property
28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.(N) 29 If the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past and its owner has been warned but did not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on the owner, then the owner shall pay whatever is imposed for the redemption of the victim’s life.(O) 31 If it gores a boy or a girl, the owner shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall pay to the slaveowner thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.(P)
33 “If someone leaves a pit open or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,(Q) 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution, giving money to its owner but keeping the dead animal.
35 “If someone’s ox hurts the ox of another, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the price of it, and the dead animal they shall also divide. 36 But if it was known that the ox was accustomed to gore in the past and its owner did not restrain it, the owner shall restore ox for ox but keep the dead animal.
Laws of Restitution
22 [b]“When someone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, the thief shall pay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. 2 [c](If the thief is found breaking in and is struck dead, no bloodguilt is incurred;(R) 3 but if it happens after sunrise, bloodguilt is incurred.) The thief shall make full restitution or, if unable to do so, shall be sold for the theft.(S) 4 When the animal, whether ox or donkey or sheep, is found alive in the thief’s possession, the thief shall pay double.
5 “When someone causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets livestock loose to graze in someone else’s field, restitution shall be made from the best in the owner’s field or vineyard.
6 “When fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire shall make full restitution.
7 “When someone delivers to a neighbor money or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, then the thief, if caught, shall pay double.(T) 8 If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall be brought before God, to determine whether or not the owner had laid hands on the neighbor’s goods.(U)
9 “In any case of disputed ownership involving ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any other loss, of which one party says, ‘This is mine,’ the case of both parties shall come before God; the one whom God condemns shall pay double to the other.(V)
10 “When someone delivers to another a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is carried off without anyone seeing it, 11 an oath before the Lord shall decide between the two of them that the one has not laid hands on the property of the other; the owner shall accept the oath, and no restitution shall be made.(W) 12 But if it was stolen, restitution shall be made to its owner.(X) 13 If it was mangled by beasts, let it be brought as evidence; restitution shall not be made for the mangled remains.
14 “When someone borrows an animal from another and it is injured or dies, the owner not being present, full restitution shall be made. 15 If the owner was present, there shall be no restitution; if it was hired, only the hiring fee is due.
Social and Religious Laws
16 “When a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.(Y) 17 But if her father refuses to give her to him, he shall pay an amount equal to the bride-price for virgins.
18 “You shall not permit a female sorcerer to live.(Z)
19 “Whoever has intercourse with an animal shall be put to death.(AA)
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord alone shall be devoted to destruction.(AB)
21 “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.(AC) 22 You shall not abuse any widow or orphan.(AD) 23 If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry;(AE) 24 my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.(AF)
25 “If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them.(AG) 26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as guarantee, you shall restore it before the sun goes down, 27 for it may be your neighbor’s only clothing to use as a cover. In what else shall that person sleep? And when your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.
28 “You shall not revile God or curse a leader of your people.(AH)
29 “You shall not delay to make offerings from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses.[d]
“The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me.(AI) 30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall remain with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.(AJ)
31 “You shall be people consecrated to me, so you shall not eat any meat that is mangled by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.(AK)
Justice for All
23 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness.(AL) 2 You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice,[e](AM) 3 nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit.
4 “When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back.(AN)
5 “When you see the donkey of one who hates you struggling under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.(AO)
6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits.(AP) 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty.(AQ) 8 You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds officials and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.(AR)
9 “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.(AS)
Sabbatical Year and Sabbath
10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield,(AT) 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard and with your olive orchard.
12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest so that your ox and your donkey may have relief and your homeborn slave and the resident alien may be refreshed.(AU) 13 Be attentive to all that I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.
The Annual Festivals
14 “Three times in the year you shall hold a festival for me. 15 You shall observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread; as I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt.
“No one shall appear before me empty-handed.(AV)
16 “You shall observe the Festival of Harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall observe the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.(AW) 17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.
18 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened or let the fat of my festival remain until the morning.
19 “The choicest of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.
“You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.(AX)
Exodus 21:1-23:19
New International Version
Exodus 21:1-23:19
New International Version
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.
Laws of Justice and Mercy
23 “Do not spread false reports.(BU) Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.(BV)
2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(BW) by siding with the crowd,(BX) 3 and do not show favoritism(BY) to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4 “If you come across your enemy’s(BZ) ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.(CA) 5 If you see the donkey(CB) of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6 “Do not deny justice(CC) to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge(CD) and do not put an innocent(CE) or honest person to death,(CF) for I will not acquit the guilty.(CG)
8 “Do not accept a bribe,(CH) for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
9 “Do not oppress a foreigner;(CI) 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.(CJ) 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,(CK) 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.(CL)
13 “Be careful(CM) to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods;(CN) do not let them be heard on your lips.(CO)
The Three Annual Festivals
14 “Three times(CP) a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.
15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread;(CQ) for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,(CR) for in that month you came out of Egypt.
“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.(CS)
16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest(CT) with the firstfruits(CU) of the crops you sow in your field.
“Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering(CV) at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.(CW)
17 “Three times(CX) a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord.
18 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast.(CY)
“The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.(CZ)
19 “Bring the best of the firstfruits(DA) of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.(DB)
Footnotes
- Exodus 21:6 Or before God
- Exodus 21:8 Or master so that he does not choose her
- Exodus 21:15 Or kills
- Exodus 21:18 Or with a tool
- Exodus 21:22 Or she has a miscarriage
- Exodus 21:32 That is, about 12 ounces or about 345 grams
- Exodus 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1 is numbered 21:37, and 22:2-31 is numbered 22:1-30.
- Exodus 22:8 Or before God, and he will
- Exodus 22:9 Or before God
- Exodus 22:9 Or whom God declares
- Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Exodus 22:28 Or Do not revile the judges
- Exodus 22:29 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
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