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.

Jesus Has Risen^(A)

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared^(B) and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.^{(C) 4} While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning^(D) stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:^{(E) 7} ‘The Son of Man^(F) must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”^{(G) 8} Then they remembered his words.^(H)

⁹ When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them^(I) who told this to the apostles.^{(J) 11} But they did not believe^(K) the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves,^(L) and he went away,^(M) wondering to himself what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem.^{(N) 14} They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;^{(O) 16} but they were kept from recognizing him.^(P)

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas,^(Q) asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,”^(R) they replied. “He was a prophet,^(S) powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers^(T) handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.^(U) And what is more, it is the third day^(V) since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us.^(W) They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”^(X)

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”^{(Y) 27} And beginning with Moses^(Z) and all the Prophets,^(AA) he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.^(AB)

²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it^(AC) and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,^(AD) and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us^(AE) while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures^(AF) to us?”

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord^(AG) has risen and has appeared to Simon.”^{(AH) 35} Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.^(AI)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

³⁶ While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”^(AJ)

³⁷ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.^{(AK) 38} He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see;^(AL) a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.^(AM)

⁴⁴ He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you:^(AN) Everything must be fulfilled^(AO) that is written about me in the Law of Moses,^(AP) the Prophets^(AQ) and the Psalms.”^(AR)

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer^(AS) and rise from the dead on the third day,^{(AT) 47} and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name^(AU) to all nations,^(AV) beginning at Jerusalem.^{(AW) 48} You are witnesses^(AX) of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised;^(AY) but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,^(AZ) he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.^{(BA) 52} Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³ And they stayed continually at the temple,^(BB) praising God.

9 There is no need^(A) for me to write to you about this service^(B) to the Lord’s people.^{(C) 2} For I know your eagerness to help,^(D) and I have been boasting^(E) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year^(F) you in Achaia^(G) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³ But I am sending the brothers^(H) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.^{(I) 4} For if any Macedonians^(J) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^(K) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^(L) not as one grudgingly given.^(M)

Generosity Encouraged

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.^{(N) 7} Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,^(O) not reluctantly or under compulsion,^(P) for God loves a cheerful giver.^{(Q) 8} And God is able^(R) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,^(S) you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food^(V) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^{(W) 11} You will be enriched^(X) in every way so that you can be generous^(Y) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.^(Z)

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs^(AA) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.^{(AB) 13} Because of the service^(AC) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God^(AD) for the obedience that accompanies your confession^(AE) of the gospel of Christ,^(AF) and for your generosity^(AG) in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God^(AH) for his indescribable gift!^(AI)