Exodus 21:12-27
New American Standard Bible
Personal Injuries
12 “(A)He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death. 13 (B)Yet [a]if he did not lie in wait for him, but (C)God caused him to fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14 (D)If, however, someone is enraged against his neighbor, so as to kill him in a cunning way, you are to take him even from My altar, to be put to death.
15 “And one who strikes his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.
16 “Now (E)one who [b]kidnaps someone, whether he sells him or he is found in his [c]possession, shall certainly be put to death.
17 “And (F)one who curses his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.
18 “Now if people have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with a fist, and he does not die but [d]is confined to 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 [e]loss of time, and [f]shall pay for his care until he is completely healed.
20 “And if someone strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies [g]at his hand, he shall [h]be punished. 21 If, however, the slave [i]survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; (G)for the slave is his [j]property.
22 “Now if people struggle with each other and strike a pregnant woman so that [k]she gives birth prematurely, but there is no injury, the guilty person shall certainly be fined as the woman’s husband [l]may demand of him, and he shall (H)pay [m]as the judges decide. 23 But if there is any further injury, (I)then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 (J)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, [n]bruise for bruise.
26 “And if someone strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he shall let [o]the slave go free on account of the eye. 27 And if he [p]knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let [q]the slave go free on account of the tooth.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 21:13 Lit he who
- Exodus 21:16 Lit steals
- Exodus 21:16 Lit hand
- Exodus 21:18 Lit lies in
- 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 stands
- Exodus 21:21 Lit money
- 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 21:25 Lit welt
- Exodus 21:26 Lit him go...his eye
- Exodus 21:27 Lit causes to fall
- Exodus 21:27 Lit him go...his tooth
Exodus 21:12-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Law concerning Violence
12 “Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death.(A) 13 If it was not premeditated but came about by an act of God, then I will appoint for you a place to which the killer may flee.(B) 14 But if someone willfully attacks and kills another by treachery, you shall take the killer from my altar for execution.(C)
15 “Whoever strikes father or mother shall be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether that person has been sold or is still held in possession, shall be put to death.(D)
17 “Whoever curses father or mother shall be put to death.(E)
18 “When individuals quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist so that the injured party, though not dead, is confined to bed 19 but recovers and walks around outside with the help of a staff, then the assailant shall be free of liability, except to pay for the loss of time and to arrange for full recovery.
20 “When a slaveowner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, there is no punishment, for the slave is the owner’s property.(F)
22 “When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,(G) 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,(H) 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 “When a slaveowner strikes the eye of a male or female slave, destroying it, the owner shall let the slave go, a free person, to compensate for the eye. 27 If the owner knocks out a tooth of a male or female slave, the slave shall be let go, a free person, to compensate for the tooth.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.