Exodus 22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Laws of Restitution
22 [a]“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 [b](If the thief is found breaking in and is struck dead, no bloodguilt is incurred;(A) 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.(B) 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.(C) 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.(D)
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.(E)
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.(F) 12 But if it was stolen, restitution shall be made to its owner.(G) 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.(H) 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.(I)
19 “Whoever has intercourse with an animal shall be put to death.(J)
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord alone shall be devoted to destruction.(K)
21 “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.(L) 22 You shall not abuse any widow or orphan.(M) 23 If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry;(N) 24 my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.(O)
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.(P) 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.(Q)
29 “You shall not delay to make offerings from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses.[c]
“The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me.(R) 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.(S)
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.(T)
Exodus 22
Evangelical Heritage Version
Laws About Property
22 If a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.[a]
2 If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the one who kills him shall not be guilty of bloodshed. 3 But if this takes place after sunrise, the one who kills him shall be guilty of bloodshed.
A thief shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen animal found in his possession is alive, whether it is an ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall repay double.
5 If a man is grazing livestock in a field or a vineyard, and he lets his animals run loose and they graze in another man’s field, ⎣he shall make restitution from his own field on the basis of the produce that was eaten,[b] but if they have grazed over the whole field,⎦ he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and from the best of his own vineyard.[c]
6 If a fire gets out of control and spreads through the thorn bushes so that someone else’s shocks of grain, standing grain, or grain field are consumed, the one who lit the fire must certainly make restitution.
7 If a man entrusts money or other items to his neighbor for safekeeping, and they are stolen out of that man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall repay double. 8 If the thief is not found, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges[d] to find out whether he has laid his hands on his neighbor’s goods. 9 In every such offense, whether it involves an ox, a donkey, a sheep, clothing, or any other kind of lost property about which someone claims, “This is mine,” the claims of both parties shall be presented before the judges. Whichever party the judges find guilty shall repay double to his neighbor.
10 If a man entrusts a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to his neighbor for safekeeping, and it dies or is injured or is driven off, and no one sees what happened, 11 to settle the matter between them, the man who received the property must make an oath to the Lord that he has not laid his hands on his neighbor’s goods. Its owner must accept the oath, and the man who received the property shall not be required to make restitution. 12 But if, in fact, it was stolen while in his custody, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13 If it was torn in pieces by animals, let him bring it for evidence. He is not required to make good that which was torn.
14 If a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, the borrower must certainly make restitution. 15 If its owner is with it, the borrower will not be required to make restitution. If it was rented, the rent covers the loss.
Laws About Morals in Society
16 If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and lies down with her, he must pay a bride price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father flatly refuses to give her to him, the offender still must weigh out silver equivalent to the bride price for virgins.
18 You shall not allow a sorceress[e] to live.
19 Whoever lies down with an animal shall certainly be put to death.
20 Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.
21 You shall not wrong a resident alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
22 You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you take advantage of them in any way, and they make even the faintest cry to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 If you lend money to anyone among my people who is poor, you must not act like a moneylender. You must not charge him interest. 26 If you take your neighbor’s outer garment as collateral, you must restore it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for his garment is the only cover he has for his skin. What would he sleep in? Be assured that when he cries to me, I will hear, for I am gracious.
28 You shall not malign the judges,[f] nor curse a ruler of your people.
29 You shall not delay bringing offerings from your abundant harvest and from your overflowing wine vats.
You shall present the firstborn of your sons to me. 30 You shall do the same with your cattle and with your sheep. For seven days a newborn animal shall be with its mother. Then on the eighth day you shall present it to me.
31 You are to be men set apart as holy for me. So you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by wild animals. You shall cast it to the dogs.
Footnotes
- Exodus 22:1 In chapter 22, English verse 1 is equal to Hebrew verse 21:37. English verses 2-31 are equal to Hebrew verses 1-30.
- Exodus 22:5 This seems to mean that if only part of the other field was eaten, the quality of the crops that remained in that field would be used to determine the quality of the repayment, but if the whole field was eaten, the guilty party had to repay the loss with the best of his own field.
- Exodus 22:5 The words in half-brackets are not in the Hebrew text but are in the Greek Old Testament. An omission from the Hebrew text may have occurred as the Hebrew copyist’s eye skipped from one occurrence of field to another.
- Exodus 22:8 Or before God. The Hebrew word is elohim, which usually means God.
- Exodus 22:18 Or witch
- Exodus 22:28 Or blaspheme God. The Hebrew word is elohim, which usually means God, but see John 10:35.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.