Exodus 21:1-11

International Children’s Bible

Laws for Living

21 Then God said to Moses, “These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites:

² “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free. And he will have to pay nothing. ³ He might not be married when he becomes your slave. Then he must leave without a wife. The man might be married when he becomes your slave. Then he may take his wife with him. ⁴ The slave’s master might give him a wife, and she might give birth to sons or daughters. Then the woman and her children will belong to the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave.

⁵ “But the slave might say, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ ⁶ Then the slave’s master will take him to God. The master will take him to a door or doorframe. And he will punch a hole through the slave’s ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that master all his life.

⁷ “A man might sell his daughter as a slave. There are rules for setting her free. They are different from the rules for setting the men slaves free. ⁸ Maybe the master wanted to marry her but then decided he was not pleased with her. He must let one of her close relatives buy her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners. This is because he has treated her unfairly. ⁹ The man who bought her might promise to let the woman marry his son. Then he must treat her as a daughter. ¹⁰ The man who bought her might marry another woman. Then he must not keep his slave woman from having food or clothing or physical relations. ¹¹ If he does not give her these three things, she may go free. She owes him no money.