Exodus 21
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
World English Bible
1Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.
1“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:
2If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
2“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
3If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.
3If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4If his master give him a wife, and she bear him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5But if the servant shall plainly say: I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free;
5But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’
6then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.
6then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.
7“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.
8If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed; to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
8If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
9And if he espouse her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
9If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.
10If he take him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her conjugal rights, shall he not diminish.
10If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.
11If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.
12He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death.
12“One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
13And if a man lie not in wait, but God cause it to come to hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he may flee.
13but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
14And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die.
14If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
15“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.
16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
16“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
17“Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
18And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed;
18“If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed;
19if 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.
19if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.
20And if a man smite his bondman, or his bondwoman, with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
20“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished.
21Notwithstanding if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his money.
21Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.
22And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
22“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.
23But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
23But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,
24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
25burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
26And if a man smite the eye of his bondman, or the eye of his bondwoman, and destroy it, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.
26“If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
27And if he smite out his bondman's tooth, or his bondwoman's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
27If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let the servant go free for his tooth’s sake.
28And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
28“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.
29But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.
29But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.
30If there be laid on him a ransom, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
30If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed.
31Whether it have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
31Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.
32If the ox gore a bondman or a bondwoman, he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
32If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.
33And 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,
33“If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn’t cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
34the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money unto the owner of them, and the dead beast shall be his.
34the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.
35And if one man's ox hurt another's, so that it dieth; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it; and the dead also they shall divide.
35“If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.
36Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.
36Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.
Tip: use the ← and → keys to turn chapters.