Exodus 21:1-6
New American Standard Bible
Ordinances for the People
21 “Now these are the (A)ordinances which you are to set before them:
2 “If you buy (B)a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall leave as a free man without a payment to you. 3 If he comes [a]alone, he shall leave [b]alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall leave [c]alone. 5 But (C)if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not leave as a free man,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to [d]God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an [e]awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
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- Exodus 21:3 Lit by himself
- Exodus 21:3 Lit by himself
- Exodus 21:4 Lit by himself
- Exodus 21:6 Or the judges (who acted in God’s name)
- Exodus 21:6 I.e., a pointed tool
Exodus 21:1-6
Amplified Bible
Ordinances for the People
21 “Now these are the ordinances (laws) which you shall set before the Israelites:
2 “If you purchase a Hebrew servant [because of his debt or poverty], he shall serve six years, and in the seventh [year] he shall leave as a free man, paying nothing.(A) 3 If he came [to you] alone, he shall leave alone; if he came married, then his wife shall leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall leave [your service] alone. 5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not leave as a free man,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God [that is, to the judges who act in God’s name], then he shall bring him to the door or doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl (strong needle); and he shall serve him for life.
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Exodus 21:1-6
New Living Translation
Fair Treatment of Slaves
21 “These are the regulations you must present to Israel.
2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. 3 If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him.
4 “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. 5 But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ 6 If he does this, his master must present him before God.[a] Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.
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- 21:6 Or before the judges.
Luke 1:38
New American Standard Bible
38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
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Luke 1:38
Amplified Bible
38 Then Mary said, “[a]Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.
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- Luke 1:38 Mary’s response was significantly different from Zacharias’ (v 18). Zacharias would not take Gabriel’s word, and instead wanted some kind of miraculous sign as proof.
Luke 1:38
New Living Translation
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
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1 Peter 2:16
New American Standard Bible
16 Act as (A)free people, and [a]do not use your freedom as a [b]covering for evil, but use it as (B)bond-servants of God.
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- 1 Peter 2:16 Lit not having
- 1 Peter 2:16 I.e., a way to conceal
1 Peter 2:16
Amplified Bible
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover or pretext for evil, but [use it and live] as bond-servants of God.
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1 Peter 2:16
New Living Translation
16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
