Responsibility for Property

22 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall (A)restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. If the thief is found (B)breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be (C)no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be (D)sold[a] for his theft. If the theft is certainly (E)found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall (F)restore double.

“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

“If a man (G)delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, (H)if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the (I)judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.

“For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the (J)cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. 10 If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, 11 then an (K)oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. 12 But (L)if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it is (M)torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn.

14 “And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.

Moral and Ceremonial Principles

16 (N)“If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the (O)bride-price of virgins.

18 (P)“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

19 (Q)“Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

20 (R)“He who sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

21 (S)“You shall neither mistreat a [b]stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 (T)“You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they (U)cry at all to Me, I will surely (V)hear their cry; 24 and My (W)wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; (X)your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

25 (Y)“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him (Z)interest. 26 (AA)If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am (AB)gracious.

28 (AC)“You shall not revile God, nor curse a (AD)ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delay to offer (AE)the first of your ripe produce and your juices. (AF)The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30 (AG)Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother (AH)seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

31 “And you shall be (AI)holy men to Me: (AJ)you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:3 Sold as a slave
  2. Exodus 22:21 sojourner

22 “If a man steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, he shall pay a fine of five to one—five oxen shall be returned for each stolen ox. For sheep, the fine shall be four to one—four sheep returned for each sheep stolen.

“If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty. But if it happens in the daylight, it must be presumed to be murder and the man who kills him is guilty.

“If a thief is captured, he must make full restitution; if he can’t, then he must be sold as a slave for his debt.

“If he is caught in the act of stealing a live ox or donkey or sheep or whatever it is, he shall pay double value as his fine.

“If someone deliberately lets his animal loose and it gets into another man’s vineyard; or if he turns it into another man’s field to graze, he must pay for all damages by giving the owner of the field or vineyard an equal amount of the best of his own crop.

“If the field is being burned off and the fire gets out of control and goes into another field so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, are destroyed, the one who started the fire shall make full restitution.

“If someone gives money or goods to anyone to keep for him, and it is stolen, the thief shall pay double if he is found. But if no thief is found, then the man to whom the valuables were entrusted shall be brought before God to determine whether or not he himself has stolen his neighbor’s property.

“In every case in which an ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or anything else is lost, and the owner believes he has found it in the possession of someone else who denies it, both parties to the dispute shall come before God for a decision, and the one whom God declares guilty shall pay double to the other.

10 “If a man asks his neighbor to keep a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal for him, and it dies, or is hurt, or gets away, and there is no eyewitness to report just what happened to it, 11 then the neighbor must take an oath that he has not stolen it, and the owner must accept his word, and no restitution shall be made for it. 12 But if the animal or property has been stolen, the neighbor caring for it must repay the owner. 13 If it was attacked by some wild animal, he shall bring the torn carcass to confirm the fact, and shall not be required to make restitution.

14 “If a man borrows an animal (or anything else) from a neighbor, and it is injured or killed, and the owner is not there at the time, then the man who borrowed it must pay for it. 15 But if the owner is there, he need not pay; and if it was rented, then he need not pay, because this possibility was included in the original rental fee.

16 “If a man seduces a girl who is not engaged to anyone[a] and sleeps with her, he must pay the usual dowry and accept her as his wife. 17 But if her father utterly refuses to let her marry him, then he shall pay the money anyway.

18 “A sorceress shall be put to death.

19 “Anyone having sexual relations with an animal shall certainly be executed.

20 “Anyone sacrificing to any other god than Jehovah shall be executed.[b]

21 “You must not oppress a stranger in any way; remember, you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22 “You must not exploit widows or orphans; 23 if you do so in any way, and they cry to me for my help, I will surely give it. 24 And my anger shall flame out against you, and I will kill you with enemy armies, so that your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.

25 “If you lend money to a needy fellow Hebrew, you are not to handle the transaction in an ordinary way, with interest. 26 If you take his clothing as a pledge of his repayment, you must let him have it back at night. 27 For it is probably his only warmth; how can he sleep without it? If you don’t return it, and he cries to me for help, I will hear and be very gracious to him at your expense,[c] for I am very compassionate.

28 “You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse government officials—your judges and your rulers.

29 “You must be prompt in giving me the tithe of your crops and your wine, and the redemption payment for your oldest son.

30 “As to the firstborn of the oxen and the sheep, give it to me on the eighth day, after leaving it with its mother for seven days.

31 “And since you yourselves are holy—my special people—do not eat any animal that has been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Leave its carcass for the dogs to eat.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:16 a girl who is not engaged to anyone, literally, “a virgin.” usual dowry, more literally, “customary marriage present to the bride’s parents.”
  2. Exodus 22:20 shall be executed, literally, “shall be utterly destroyed.”
  3. Exodus 22:27 at your expense, implied.