Exodus 21:12-27
International Standard Version
Laws Concerning Personal Injury and Homicide
12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies is certainly to be put to death. 13 If he didn’t lie in wait, but God let him fall into his reach,[a] then I’ll appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 If a man acts deliberately against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you are to take him to die even if he’s at[b] my altar.
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether he has sold him or whether the victim[c] is still in his possession, is certainly to be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.
18 “If people quarrel and one strikes the other with a rock or his fist, and he does not die but ends up[d] in bed, 19 and the injured person[e] then gets up and walks around outside with the help of his staff,[f] the one who struck him is not liable, except that he is to compensate him for his loss of time[g] and take care of his complete recovery.
20 “If a man strikes his male or female servant with a stick and he or she dies as a direct result,[h] the master must be punished.[i] 21 But if the servant[j] survives a day or two, the master[k] is not to be punished because the servant[l] is his property.
22 “If two men are fighting and they strike a pregnant woman and her children are born prematurely,[m] but there is no harm, he is certainly to be fined as the husband of the woman demands of him, and he will pay as the court decides.[n] 23 If there is harm, then you are to require[o] 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 the eye of his male or female servant and destroys it, he is to release him as a free man in exchange for his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male[p] or female servant,[q] he is to release him as a free man in exchange for his tooth.
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- Exodus 21:13 Lit. hand; i.e. the event was not premeditated by the accused
- Exodus 21:14 Lit. even from
- Exodus 21:16 Lit. he
- Exodus 21:18 Lit. falls
- Exodus 21:19 Lit. he
- Exodus 21:19 Lit. with his staff
- Exodus 21:19 Lit. his rest
- Exodus 21:20 Lit. under his hand
- Exodus 21:20 Lit. suffer vengeance
- Exodus 21:21 Lit. he
- Exodus 21:21 Lit. he
- Exodus 21:21 Lit. he
- Exodus 21:22 Lit. children come out
- Exodus 21:22 Or according to the assessment
- Exodus 21:23 Lit. give
- Exodus 21:27 Lit. male servant
- Exodus 21:27 Lit. tooth of his female servant
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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