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Exodus 21
Wycliffe Bible
Exodus 21
Wycliffe Bible
21 These be the dooms, which thou shalt set forth to them. (These be the laws, which thou shalt set forth to them.)
2 If thou buyest an Hebrew servant, he shall serve thee six years; in the seventh year he shall go out free, without price; (If thou buyest a Hebrew slave, he shall serve thee for six years; then in the seventh year he shall go out free, without payment of any money;)
3 with what manner cloak he entered, with such cloak go he out; if he entered having a wife, also the wife shall go out together with him.
4 But if the lord of a servant gave a wife to him, and she childed sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall be her lord’s; soothly the servant shall go out with his own cloth. (But if the lord of a slave gave a wife to him, and she bare him sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall be her lord’s; the slave shall go out free with only his own cloak.)
5 And if the servant saith, I love my lord, and my wife, and children, I will not go out free; (And if the slave saith, I love my lord, and my wife, and my children, and I shall not go out free;)
6 his lord shall bring him to [the] gods, that is, (to the) judges; and he shall be set to the door, and to the posts; and his lord shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall be servant to him till into the world. (then his lord shall bring him to the judges; and he shall put him up against the door, or the door-post; and his lord shall pierce his ear with an awl, and then he shall be his slave forevermore.)
7 If any man selleth his daughter into a servantess, she shall not go out as handmaids were wont to go out; (If any man selleth his daughter to be a slave-girl, she shall not go out free like slaves can go out free;)
8 if she displeaseth in the eyes of her lord, to whom she was betaken, he shall deliver her; soothly he shall not have power, (or the right,) to sell her to an alien people, if he forsaketh her. (yea, if she displeaseth in the eyes of her lord, to whom she was delivered, then he shall sell her back to her father; and he shall not have the power, or the right, to sell her to a foreign people, if he forsaketh her.)
9 Forsooth if he weddeth her to his son, he shall do to her by the custom of daughters (he shall treat her like a daughter);
10 and if he take with this handmaid another woman, or wife, to his son, he shall purvey to the (first) damsel, or handmaid, weddings, and clothes, and he shall not deny her the price of (her) chastity, that is, the hour of yielding debt. (but if he get another wife, besides this woman, for his son, he shall still give this young woman her wedding, and her clothes, and he shall not deny her the rights of her marriage bed.)
11 If he doeth not to her these three (things), she shall go out freely without money. (And if he giveth her not these three things, then she shall go out free without payment of any money.)
12 He that smiteth a man, and will slay him, die he by death; (He who striketh a man, and killeth him, shall be put to death;)
13 forsooth if a man setteth not ambush, but God betook him into his hands, I shall ordain a place to thee (I shall ordain a place for thee), whither he oughteth to flee.
14 If any man slayeth his neighbour by before-casting, and by ambush, draw thou him away from mine altar, that he die (and put him to death).
15 He that smiteth his father, or his mother, die he by death. (He who striketh his father, or his mother, shall be put to death.)
16 He that curseth his father, or mother, die he by death. (He who curseth his father, or his mother, shall be put to death.)
17 He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, if he is convicted of the guilt, die he by death (shall be put to death).
18 If men chide, and the tother smite his neighbour with a stone, or with the fist, and he is not dead, but lieth in the bed,
19 if he riseth (up), and goeth forth on his staff, he that smote (him) shall be innocent; so nevertheless that he restore (to him for) his travails, and his costs in leaches (and his expenses for physicians).
20 He that smiteth his servant, or handmaid, with a rod, and they be dead in his hands, he shall be guilty of the crime, or hideous trespass. (He who striketh his slave, or his slave-girl, with a rod, and they die by his hands, he shall be guilty of a crime, or of a hideous trespass.)
21 Soothly if the servant liveth over this beating one day, or twain, the smiter shall not be subject to the pain of death, for the servant is his master’s chattel.
22 If men chide, and a man smiteth a woman with child, and soothly he maketh the child dead-born, but the woman liveth over that smiting, he shall be subject to the harm (he shall be subject to a fine), as much as the woman’s husband asketh (for), and as the judges deem (appropriate).
23 Soothly if the death of her followeth (And if her death followeth), he shall yield life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burning for burning, wound for wound, sore for sore.
26 If a man smiteth the eye of his servant, either of his handmaid, and maketh them one-eyed, he shall deliver them free for the eye which he put out (he shall let them go out free for the eye which he hath put out).
27 Also if he smite out a tooth of his servant, or (of) [his] handmaid, in like manner he shall deliver them free (likewise he shall let them go out free).
28 If an ox smiteth with his horn either man, or woman, and they be dead, the ox shall be thrown down with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten, and the lord of the ox shall be guiltless. (If an ox striketh with his horn a man, or a woman, unto the death, the ox shall be thrown down with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the lord of the ox shall be guiltless.)
29 That if the ox was an horn-putter from yesterday and the third day ago, and men warned his lord, (yet) neither the lord closed him, and he slayeth a man, or a woman, both the ox shall be thrown adown with stones, and they shall slay his lord; (But if the ox was a horn-putter from yesterday and the third day ago, and men had warned his lord, but his lord did not enclose him, and he killeth a man, or a woman, the ox shall be thrown down with stones, and they shall also kill his lord;)
30 that if the price be put to the lord, he shall give for his life whatever he is asked. (but if a fine be put on the ox’s lord, he shall give whatever he is asked for, as the ransom for his life.)
31 And if he smiteth with (his) horn a man’s son, and his daughter (And if the ox striketh with his horn a man’s son, or his daughter), his lord shall be subject to the same sentence.
32 If the ox assaileth a manservant, and an handmaid, the lord of the ox shall give thirty shekels of silver to the lord of that servant; forsooth the ox shall be oppressed with stones. (But if the ox assaileth a slave, or a slave-girl, the ox’s lord shall give thirty shekels of silver to their lord, and the ox shall be thrown down with stones.)
33 If any man openeth a cistern, or a pit, and diggeth it, and covereth it not, and an ox either an ass falleth into it, (If anyone openeth a cistern, or a well, and diggeth it, and covereth it not up, and an ox or a donkey falleth into it,)
34 the lord of the cistern shall yield the price of the beasts (the lord of the cistern shall pay the fair value for the beast); forsooth that that is dead shall be his.
35 If one man’s ox woundeth the ox of another man, and he is dead, they shall sell the quick ox, and they shall part the price (If one person’s ox woundeth another person’s ox, and it dieth, they shall sell the living ox, and they shall evenly divide the price); soothly they shall part betwixt them(selves) the carcass of the dead ox.
36 Forsooth if the lord knew, that his ox was a (horn)-putter from yesterday and the third day ago, and kept not him (and did not keep him in), he shall yield (another) ox for (the dead) ox, and he shall take the whole dead carcass.
Exodus 21
New International Version
Exodus 21
New International Version
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.
Footnotes
- Exodus 21:6 Or before God
- Exodus 21:8 Or master so that he does not choose her
- Exodus 21:15 Or kills
- Exodus 21:18 Or with a tool
- Exodus 21:22 Or she has a miscarriage
- Exodus 21:32 That is, about 12 ounces or about 345 grams
Exodus 21
Legacy Standard Bible
Exodus 21
Legacy Standard Bible
Judgments About Slaves
21 “Now these are the (A)judgments 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 go out as a free man without payment. 3 If he comes [a]alone, he shall go out [b]alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out 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 go out [c]alone. 5 But (C)if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to [d]God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. Then his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
7 “(D)And if a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to [e]go free (E)as the male slaves [f]do. 8 If she is [g]displeasing in the eyes of her master [h]who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his treachery to her. 9 And if he designates her for his son, he shall do to her according to the custom of daughters. 10 If he takes for himself another woman, he may not reduce her [i]food, her clothing, or (F)her conjugal rights. 11 And if he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
Judgments About Personal Injuries
12 “(G)He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13 (H)But [j]if he did not lie in wait for him, but (I)God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14 (J)If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him by deceit, you shall take him even from My altar, that he may die.
15 “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
16 “(K)He who [k]kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.
17 “(L)And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
18 “And if men contend with each other and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but [l]remains in bed, 19 if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for [m]his loss of time, and [n]he shall take care of him until he is completely healed.
20 “And if a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies [o]at his hand, he shall surely [p]be punished. 21 But if for a day or two he is able to stand, no punishment shall be taken; (M)for he is his [q]property.
22 “And if men struggle with each other and [r]strike a woman with child so that [s]she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband [t]will set for him, and he shall (N)pay [u]as the judges decide. 23 But if there is any further injury, (O)then you shall pay life for life, 24 (P)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.
26 “And if a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and ruins it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. 27 And if he [v]knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.
28 “And if an ox gores a man or a woman [w]to death, (Q)the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29 If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it puts a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is [x]demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is [y]demanded of him. 31 Whether it gores a son or [z]a daughter, it shall be done to him according to [aa]the same judgment. 32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, [ab]the owner shall give his or her master [ac](R)thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall [ad]give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.
35 “And if one man’s ox [ae]hurts another’s so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox. 36 Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.
Footnotes
- 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 21:7 Lit go out
- Exodus 21:7 Lit go out
- Exodus 21:8 Lit bad
- Exodus 21:8 Or so that he did not designate her
- Exodus 21:10 Lit flesh
- Exodus 21:13 Lit he who
- Exodus 21:16 Lit steals
- Exodus 21:18 Lit lies
- Exodus 21:19 Lit his sitting
- Exodus 21:19 Lit healing, he shall cause to be healed
- Exodus 21:20 Lit under
- Exodus 21:20 Lit suffer vengeance
- Exodus 21:21 Lit money
- Exodus 21:22 Lit smote
- Exodus 21:22 Or an untimely birth occurs; lit her children come out
- Exodus 21:22 Lit lays on him
- Exodus 21:22 Lit by arbitration
- Exodus 21:27 Lit causes to fall
- Exodus 21:28 Lit so that he dies
- Exodus 21:30 Lit laid on him
- Exodus 21:30 Lit laid on him
- Exodus 21:31 Lit gores a daughter
- Exodus 21:31 Lit this
- Exodus 21:32 Lit he
- Exodus 21:32 Approx. 12 oz. or 330 gm, a shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
- Exodus 21:34 Lit give back
- Exodus 21:35 Lit smites
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
2001 by Terence P. Noble
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
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