Exodus 21

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Here are the rules you should present to them with fairness and understanding.

If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

If you purchase a Hebrew servant, he will serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he must be set free without any cost.

If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

If he arrived alone, he'll leave alone. But if he had a wife, she'll leave with him.

If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

If his owner has gifted him a wife who has borne him children, the wife and kids belong to the owner, while he leaves alone.

And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

If a servant openly declares, "I deeply love my master, my spouse, and my children; I choose not to embrace freedom."

Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

His master will present him before the authorities, leading him to the door or doorpost. There, his master will pierce his ear with an awl, marking him as a servant for life.

And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free the way male servants do.

If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

If her master, to whom she is engaged, is not pleased with her, he must allow her to be freed. He has no right to sell her to a foreign land, especially since he has treated her dishonestly.

And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

If he has promised her to his son, he should treat her as his own daughter, with love and respect.

If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

If he marries another, he must not reduce the food, the clothing, or the marital rights he gives his first wife.

And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

If he fails to provide her with these three essentials, she has the right to leave freely, without owing him anything.

He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Whoever strikes another person and kills them must be put to death.

And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

If a man doesn't intentionally harm, but God allows it to happen, I will provide a safe haven for him to escape.

But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

But if someone deliberately plots to kill their neighbor by deceit, take them away even from my altar and put them to death.

And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

Anyone who strikes their father or mother must be put to death.

And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Anyone who kidnaps another person must be put to death, whether they have sold them or still hold them captive.

And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Anyone who curses their father or mother must be put to death.

And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

When men fight and one hurts the other with a stone or his fist, but the injured man doesn't die and is confined to his bed:

If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

If he recovers and can walk again with the help of his cane, then the one who hurt him is forgiven. But he must compensate for the time lost and ensure his complete recovery.

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

If a man harms his servant, male or female, causing their death, he will undoubtedly face severe consequences.

Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

However, if the servant survives a day or two, the owner should not be punished, for the servant is his own investment.

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

If a man fights and injures a pregnant woman, causing her to lose her baby but doesn't harm her further, he must face the consequences. The woman's husband will decide his punishment, and he must pay what the judges deem fair.

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

If serious harm results, then the penalty must match it: a life for a life,

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,

Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

If a man harms the eye of his servant or maid, causing it to be lost, he must set them free as compensation for their injury.

And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

If he injures his servant, causing loss of a tooth, he must set them free as compensation for the harm.

If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

If an ox harms a person causing their death, the ox must be put down and its meat must not be consumed. However, the owner of the ox is not to be blamed.

But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

If an ox, known for its violent tendencies, has been reported to its owner, yet the owner failed to restrain it, and it ends up killing someone, both the ox and its negligent owner must face death.

If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

If he is asked to pay a certain amount, he must give whatever is demanded to save his own life.

Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

If he has harmed a son or a daughter, he shall face the same consequences.

If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

If an ox harms a servant, the owner must compensate the master with thirty silver coins, and the ox must be put down.

And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;

If a person carelessly digs a hole and leaves it uncovered, causing harm to an innocent creature like an ox or a donkey, it's their fault.

The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

The one responsible for the pit must compensate, paying the owner for the loss; the lifeless animal then belongs to him.

And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

If one person's ox harms another's, causing it to die, they should sell the living ox and share the proceeds. They should also share what remains of the dead ox.

Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

If it's known that an ox has a history of goring and its owner didn't restrain it, the owner must pay in full, a live ox for the dead one, and the dead ox becomes his.