|
- "These are the laws you are to set before them:
- "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.
- If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him.
- If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
- "But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,'
|
- "Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:
- "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment.
- "If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.
- "If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone.
- "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,'
|
- then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.
- "If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do.
- If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her.
- If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.
- If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.
|
- then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
- "If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do.
- "If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her.
- "If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.
- "If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.
|
- If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.
- "Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death.
- However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate.
- But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.
- "Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death.
|
- "If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
- "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
- "But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.
- "If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.
- "He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
|
- "Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.
- "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.
- "If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed,
- the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed.
- "If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished,
|
- "He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.
- "He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
- "If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but remains in bed,
- 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 loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed.
- "If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.
|
- but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.
- "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows.
- But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,
- eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
- burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
|
- "If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.
- "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.
- "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,
- eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
- burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
|
- "If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye.
- And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth.
- "If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible.
- If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death.
- However, if payment is demanded of him, he may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.
|
- "If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.
- "And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.
- "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.
- "If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
- "If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.
|
- This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter.
- If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned.
- "If a man uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
- the owner of the pit must pay for the loss; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.
- "If a man's bull injures the bull of another and it dies, they are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally.
|
- "Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
- "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
- "If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
- the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.
- "If one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox.
|
- However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and the dead animal will be his.
|
- "Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.
|
|
|