Exodus 21:12-27
Evangelical Heritage Version
Laws About Injuries
12 Anyone who strikes a man so that he dies must certainly be put to death. 13 However, if this was not done intentionally but rather was an act of God, for that kind of case I will appoint a place among you to which that man can flee. 14 But if a man plots and kills his neighbor deliberately, you shall take him from my altar, so that he may be put to death.
15 Anyone who strikes his father or his mother must certainly be put to death.
16 If anyone kidnaps someone and sells him, or if the kidnapped person is found in his possession, the kidnapper must certainly be put to death.
17 Anyone who curses his father or his mother must certainly be put to death.
18 If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and the victim does not die but is confined to bed— 19 if the victim gets up and can walk around outside with his staff, then the one who struck him shall not be punished, but he must pay for the victim’s lost work time while he is recuperating, until he is completely healed.
20 If a man strikes his male or his female servant with a club,[a] and the servant dies at his hand, he must certainly be punished. 21 However, if the servant gets up after a day or two,[b] the man shall not be punished, for the servant was his property.
22 If men are fighting and they injure a pregnant woman so that the child comes out, yet no harm follows, they must certainly be fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. 23 But if any harm follows, then you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
26 If a man strikes his male or female servant’s eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free as payment for the eye. 27 If he knocks out his male or female servant’s tooth, he must let the servant go free as payment for the tooth.
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- Exodus 21:20 Or staff
- Exodus 21:21 Or survives a day or two
Exodus 21:12-27
Lexham English Bible
Regulations Regarding Murder, Manslaughter, and Various Injuries
12 “‘Whoever strikes someone[a] and he dies will surely be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait and it was an accident,[b] I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man schemes against his neighbor to kill him by treachery,[c] you will take him from my altar to die. 15 And whoever strikes[d] his father or his mother will surely be put to death.
16 “‘And whoever kidnaps someone[e] and sells him, or he is found in his possession,[f] he will surely be put to death.
17 “‘And one who curses his father or his mother will surely be put to death.
18 “‘And if men quarrel and a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist and he does not die, but he is confined to bed,[g] 19 if he stands and walks about in the outside on his staff, the striker will be unpunished; he will only pay for his inactivity[h] toward his full recovery.”[i] 20 And if a man strikes his male slave or his female slave with the rod and he dies under his hand, he will surely be avenged. 21 Yet if he survives a day or two days, he will not be avenged, because he is his money.[j]
22 “‘And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out and there is not serious injury, he will surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands concerning him and as the judges determine.[k] 23 And if there is serious injury, you will give life in place of life, 24 eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, 25 burn in place of burn, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.
26 “‘And if a man strikes the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and destroys it, he shall release him as free in place of his eye. 27 And if he causes the tooth of his male slave or the tooth of his female slave to fall out, he will release him as free in place of his tooth.
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- Exodus 21:12 Literally “A striker of a man”
- Exodus 21:13 Literally “and God let him happen to his hand”
- Exodus 21:14 Or “with cunning” or “craftily”
- Exodus 21:15 Literally “a striker of”
- Exodus 21:16 Literally “a stealer of a man”
- Exodus 21:16 Literally “in his hand”
- Exodus 21:18 Literally “he falls to bed”
- Exodus 21:19 Literally “his sitting”
- Exodus 21:19 Literally “and he indeed will recover”
- Exodus 21:21 Or “property”; literally “his silver”
- Exodus 21:22 Literally “and he will give according to judgments” or “judges” or “arbitrators”
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