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.

²⁸ “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,^(A) 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^(B) 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.^{(C) 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^[a](D) of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

³³ “If anyone uncovers a pit^(E) 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,^(F) the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.

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^(A) from the best of their own field or vineyard.

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

⁷ “If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping^(D) and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.^{(E) 8} But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,^(F) and they must^[a] 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.^[b](G) The one whom the judges declare^[c] 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^(H) 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^(I) 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^(J) 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.^(K)

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.^{(L) 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.^(M)

Social Responsibility

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

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

Restitution for Wrongs

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way^[a] and so is unfaithful^(A) to the Lord is guilty^{(B) 7} and must confess^(C) the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution^(D) for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged. ⁸ But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest, along with the ram^(E) with which atonement is made for the wrongdoer.^{(F) 9} All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.^{(G) 10} Sacred things belong to their owners, but what they give to the priest will belong to the priest.^(H)’”