Exodus 21:12-27
Christian Standard Bible
Laws about Personal Injury
12 “Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.(A) 13 But if he did not intend any harm,[a] and yet God allowed it to happen, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.(B) 14 If a person schemes and willfully[b] acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from my altar to be put to death.(C)
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.(D)
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.(E)
18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed, 19 if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time[c] and provide for his complete recovery.
20 “When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse,[d] the owner must be punished.[e] 21 However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished[f] because he is his owner’s property.[g](F)
22 “When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands(G) from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment. 23 If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,(H) hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.
26 “When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.
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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.
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- 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
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