Exodus 22
Lexham English Bible
Regulations Regarding Theft, Borrowing, and Accidental Damage or Loss
22 [a] “‘If a man steals an ox or small livestock and slaughters it or sells it, he will make restitution with five cattle in place of the ox and with four sheep or goats in place of the small livestock. 2 “‘If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him. 3 (If the sun has risen over him, there is bloodguilt for him. He will make full restitution. If he does not have enough,[b] he will be sold for his theft. 4 If indeed the stolen item is found in his possession[c] alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution.
5 “‘If a man grazes his livestock in a field or a vineyard and he releases his livestock and it grazes in the field of another, he will make restitution from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.
6 “‘If a fire is started and finds thorn bushes and a stack of sheaves or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire will surely make restitution.
7 “‘If a man gives to his neighbor money or objects to watch over and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found, he will make double restitution. 8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will be brought to the sanctuary[d] to learn whether or not he reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession. 9 Concerning every account of transgression—concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property—where someone says, “This belongs to me,” the matter of the two of them will come to God;[e] whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.
10 “‘If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or small livestock or any beast to watch over and it dies or is injured or is captured when there is no one who sees, 11 the oath of Yahweh will be between the two of them concerning whether or not he has reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession, and its owner will accept this, and he will not make restitution. 12 But if indeed it was stolen from him, he will make restitution to its owner. 13 If indeed it was torn to pieces, he will bring it as evidence—the mangled carcass; he will not make restitution.
14 “‘If a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he will make restitution. 15 If its owner was with it, he will not make restitution; if it was hired, it came with its hiring fee.
Regulations Regarding Various Offences
16 “‘If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and he lies with her, he surely will give her bride price to have her as his wife.[f] 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he will weigh out money according to the bride price for the virgin.
18 “‘You will not let a witch live.
19 “‘Anyone lying with an animal will surely be put to death.
20 “‘Whoever sacrifices to the gods—not to Yahweh, to him alone—will be destroyed.
Regulations Regarding Foreigners and the Poor
21 “‘You will not mistreat an alien, and you will not oppress him, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
22 “‘You will not afflict any widow or orphan. 23 If you indeed afflict him, yes, if he cries out at all to me, I will certainly hear his cry of distress. 24 And I will become angry,[g] and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.
25 “‘If you lend money to my people, to the needy with you, you will not be to him as a creditor; you will not charge him interest.[h] 26 If indeed you require the cloak of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him at sundown, 27 because it is his only garment; it is his cloak for his skin. In what will he sleep? And[i] when he cries out to me, I will hear, because I am gracious.
Regulations Regarding Tribute and Holiness
28 “‘You will not curse God,[j] and you will not curse a leader among your people.
29 “‘You will not delay the fullness of your harvest and the juice from your press; you will give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 You will do likewise for your ox and for your sheep and goats; seven days it will be with its mother; on the eighth, you will give it to me. 31 And you will be men of holiness for me; and you will not eat meat from a carcass mangled in the field; you will throw it to the dog.
Footnotes
- Exodus 22:1 Exodus 22:1–31 in the English Bible is 21:37–22:30 in the Hebrew Bible
- Exodus 22:3 Literally “there is not to him”
- Exodus 22:4 Literally “in his hand”
- Exodus 22:8 Literally “to God” or perhaps “to the judges”
- Exodus 22:9 Or “the judges”
- Exodus 22:16 Literally “for him for a woman”
- Exodus 22:24 Literally “my nose will burn”
- Exodus 22:25 Literally “put on him interest”
- Exodus 22:27 Literally “And it will be”
- Exodus 22:28 Or “a judge”
Exodus 22
Christian Standard Bible
Laws about Theft
22 “When a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must repay(A) five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep. 2 If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed.(B) 3 But if this happens after sunrise, the householder is guilty of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft.(C) 4 If what was stolen—whether ox, donkey, or sheep—is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double.
Laws about Crop Protection
5 “When a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed in, and then allows his animals to go and graze in someone else’s field, he must repay[a] with the best of his own field or vineyard.
6 “When a fire gets out of control, spreads to thornbushes, and consumes stacks of cut grain, standing grain, or a field, the one who started the fire must make full restitution for what was burned.
Laws about Personal Property
7 “When a man gives his neighbor valuables[b] or goods to keep, but they are stolen from that person’s house, the thief, if caught, must repay double. 8 If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must present himself to the judges[c] to determine[d] whether or not he has taken his neighbor’s property.(D) 9 In any case of wrongdoing involving an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or anything else lost, and someone claims, ‘That’s mine,’[e] the case between the two parties is to come before the judges.[f] The one the judges condemn[g] must repay double to his neighbor.
10 “When a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to care for, but it dies, is injured, or is stolen, while no one is watching, 11 there must be an oath before the Lord between the two of them to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor’s property. Its owner must accept the oath, and the other man does not have to make restitution. 12 But if, in fact, the animal was stolen from his custody, he must make restitution to its owner.(E) 13 If it was actually torn apart by a wild animal, he is to bring it as evidence; he does not have to make restitution for the torn carcass.
14 “When a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not there with it, the man must make full restitution. 15 If its owner is there with it, the man does not have to make restitution. If it was rented, the loss is covered by[h] its rental price.
Laws about Seduction
16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and he sleeps with her, he must certainly pay the bridal price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must pay an amount in silver equal to the bridal price for virgins.(F)
Capital Offenses
18 “Do not allow a sorceress(G) to live.
19 “Whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal(H) must be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any gods, except the Lord alone, is to be set apart for destruction.(I)
Laws Protecting the Vulnerable
21 “You must not exploit a resident alien(J) or oppress him, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.
22 “You must not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.(K) 23 If you do mistreat them, they will no doubt cry to me, and I will certainly hear their cry.(L) 24 My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.(M)
25 “If you lend silver to my people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a creditor to him; you must not charge him interest.(N)
26 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset. 27 For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body.[i] What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to me, I will listen because I am gracious.(O)
Respect for God
28 “You must not blaspheme God[j] or curse a leader among your people.(P)
29 “You must not hold back offerings(Q) from your harvest or your vats. Give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 Do the same with your cattle and your flock. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day you are to give them to me.(R)
31 “Be my holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal(S) found in the field; throw it to the dogs.
Footnotes
- 22:5 LXX adds from his field according to its produce. But if someone lets his animals graze an entire field, he must repay; DSS, Sam also support this reading.
- 22:7 Lit silver
- 22:8 Or to God
- 22:8 LXX, Tg, Vg read swear
- 22:9 Lit That is it
- 22:9 Or before God
- 22:9 Or one whom God condemns
- 22:15 Lit rented, it comes with
- 22:27 Lit skin
- 22:28 Or judges
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