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Judgments About Personal Injuries

12 (A)He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13 (B)But [a]if he did not lie in wait for him, but (C)God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14 (D)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 (E)He who [b]kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

17 (F)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 [c]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 his [d]loss of time, and he [e]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 [f]at his hand, he shall surely [g]be punished. 21 But if for a day or two he is able to stand, no punishment shall be taken; (G)for he is his [h]property.

22 “And if men struggle with each other and [i]strike a woman with child so that [j]she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband [k]will set for him, and he shall (H)pay [l]as the judges decide. 23 But if there is any further injury, (I)then you shall pay life for life, 24 (J)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 [m]knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:13 Lit he who
  2. Exodus 21:16 Lit steals
  3. Exodus 21:18 Lit lies
  4. Exodus 21:19 Lit his sitting
  5. Exodus 21:19 Lit healing, he shall cause to be healed
  6. Exodus 21:20 Lit under
  7. Exodus 21:20 Lit suffer vengeance
  8. Exodus 21:21 Lit money
  9. Exodus 21:22 Lit smote
  10. Exodus 21:22 Or an untimely birth occurs; lit her children come out
  11. Exodus 21:22 Lit lays on him
  12. Exodus 21:22 Lit by arbitration
  13. Exodus 21:27 Lit causes to fall

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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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:20 Or staff
  2. Exodus 21:21 Or survives a day or two