1  Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.

1  “These are the judgments which you shall place before them

2  If 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, six years shall he serve you; in the seventh, he shall depart freely, without charge.

2  When you buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve you; and in the seventh year he shall go out free from your house without price.

3  If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he be married, then his wife shall go out with him.

3  If he should have come in alone, he shall also go forth alone; and if his wife should have gone in together with him, his wife also shall go out.

3  With whatever clothing he arrived, with the like let him depart. If he has a wife, his wife also shall depart, at the same time.

4  If 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.

4  Moreover, if his master give him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters, the wife and the children shall be his master’s; and he shall go forth alone.

4  But if his lord gave him a wife, and she has borne sons and daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her lord. Yet still, he himself will go out with his clothing.

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

5  And if the servant should answer and say, I love my master and wife and children, I will not go away free;

6  then 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.

6  his master shall bring him to the judgement-seat of God, and then shall he bring him to the door, —to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

6  then his lord shall make an offering for him to the heavens, and it shall be applied to the door and the posts, and he will pierce his ear with an awl. And he shall be his servant in perpetuity.

7  And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.

7  And if any one sell his daughter as a domestic, she shall not depart as the maid-servants depart.

7  If anyone sells his daughter to be a servant, she shall not depart as a female servant is accustomed to go out.

8  If 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.

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

9  And if he should have betrothed her to his son, he shall do to her according to the right of daughters.

9  But if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall treat her according to the custom with daughters.

10  If he take him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her conjugal rights, shall he not diminish.

10  And if he take another to himself, he shall not deprive her of necessaries and her apparel, and her companionship with him.

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

11  And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out for nothing, without money.

11  If he does not do these three things, she shall depart freely, without money.

11  And if be does not these three things to her, then she shall go out free without price.

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

12  And if any man smite another and he die, let him be certainly put to death.

12  Whoever strikes a man, intending to murder, shall be put to death.

13  And 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.

13  But as for him that did it not willingly, but God delivered him into his hands, I will give thee a place whither the slayer may flee.

13  But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God delivered him into his hands, then I will appoint for you a place to which he must flee.

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

14  If someone murders his neighbor with deliberation, by lying in wait, you shall tear him away from my altar, so that he may die.

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

15  Whoever smites his father or his mother, let him be certainly put to death.

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

16  He that reviles his father or his mother shall surely die.

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

17  Whosoever shall steal one of the children of Israel, and prevail over him and sell him, and he be found with him, let him certainly die.

17  Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother shall die a death.

18  And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed;

18  And if two men revile each other and smite the one the other with a stone or his fist, and he die not, but be laid upon his bed;

18  If men will have quarreled, and one of them has struck his neighbor with a stone or a fist, and he does not die, but lies in bed,

19  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.

19  if he gets up again and can walk outside on his staff, he who struck him will be innocent, but only if he makes sufficient restitution for his deeds and for the cost of the physicians.

20  And if a man smite his bondman, or his bondwoman, with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

20  Whoever strikes his male or female servant with a staff, and if they have died by his hands, he shall be guilty of a crime.

20  And if a man strikes his servant, or his maid with a staff, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

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

21  But if the servant continue to live a day or two, let not the master be punished; for he is his money.

21  But if he survives for one day or two, he shall not be subject to punishment, because it is his money.

22  And 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  And if two men strive and smite a woman with child, and her child be born imperfectly formed, he shall be forced to pay a penalty: as the woman’s husband may lay upon him, he shall pay with a valuation.

22  If men will have quarreled, and one of them has struck a pregnant woman, and as a result she miscarries, but she herself survives, he shall be subject to as much damage as the husband of the woman shall petition from him, or as arbitrators shall judge.

23  But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

23  But if her death will have followed, he will repay a life for a life,

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

24  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

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

25  burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

25  a scrape for a scrape, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

25  Smiting for smiting, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26  And 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  And if one smite the eye of his man-servant, or the eye of his maid-servant, and put it out, he shall let them go free for their eye’s sake.

26  If anyone will have struck the eye of his male or female servant, having left them with one eye, he shall release them freely, because of the eye that he has put out.

27  And if he smite out his bondman's tooth, or his bondwoman's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

27  And if he should smite out the tooth of his man-servant, or the tooth of his maid-servant, he shall send them away free for their tooth’s sake.

27  Likewise, if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female servant, he shall similarly release them freely.

28  And 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 an oxor any animal smiting a man or a woman, that they die: then the animal shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the animal shall be quit.

29  But 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.

29  But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner, and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also.

29  But if the ox had been pushing with his horn, from yesterday and the day before, and they warned his owner, but he did not confine it, and it will have killed a man or a woman, then the ox shall be stoned, and his owner shall be killed.

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

30  And if a ransom should be imposed on him, he shall pay for the ransom of his soul as much as they shall lay upon him.

30  But if they have imposed a price on him, he shall give, in exchange for his life, whatever is asked.

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

31  And if the bull gore a son or daughter, let them do to him according to this ordinance.

31  Likewise, if it has struck a son or a daughter with its horns, it shall be subject to a similar verdict.

32  If the ox gore a bondman or a bondwoman, he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33  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,

33  And if any one open a pit or dig a cavity in stone, and cover it not, and an ox or an ass fall in there,

33  If a man digs or opens a cistern, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

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

34  then the owner of the cistern shall repay the price of the beasts, and what is dead will belong to him.

35  And 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  And if any man’s bull gore the bull of his neighbour, and it die, they shall sell the living bull and divide the money, and they shall divide the dead bull.

35  If the ox of a stranger wounds the ox of another, and it has died, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the price, but the carcass of the dead one they shall distribute between them.

36  Or 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.

36  But if the bull be known to have been given to goring in time past, and they have testified to his owner, and he have not removed him, he shall repay bull for bull, but the dead shall be his own.

36  But if he knew that his ox had pushed with its horns, yesterday and the day before, and its owner did not confine it, then he shall repay an ox for an ox, and he will receive the whole carcass.”

22:2  If a thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.

2  And if the thief be found in the breach made by himself and be smitten and die, there shall not be blood shed for him.

2  If a thief will have been discovered breaking into a house, or digging under it, and he has received a mortal wound, he who struck him down will not be guilty of blood.

22:3  If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be bloodguiltiness for him--he shall make restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

3  But if the sun be risen upon him, he is guilty, he shall die instead; and if a thief have nothing, let him be sold in compensation for what he has stolen.

3  But if he did this when the sun was risen, he has perpetrated a homicide, and he shall die. If he does not have the means to make restitution for the theft, he shall be sold.

22:4  If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall pay double.

4  If whatever he stole should be found with him, a living thing, either an ox, or a donkey, or a sheep, he shall repay double.

4  If the animal is found in his possession alive, whether it is an ox or an ass, or a ewe, he shall restore double.

22:5  If a man cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

5  And if any one should feed down a field or a vineyard, and should send in his beast to feed down another field, he shall make compensation of his own field according to his produce; and if he shall have fed down the whole field, he shall pay for compensation the best of his own field and the best of his vineyard.

5  If there is any damage to a field or a vineyard, when he has released his cattle to pasture on the land of a stranger, he shall repay the best of what he has in his own field, or in his own vineyard, according to the estimation of the damage.

22:6  If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

6  And if fire have gone forth and caught thorns, and should also set on fire threshing-floors or ears of corn or a field, he that kindled the fire shall make compensation.

6  If a fire will have been discovered departing from brush, and taking hold in stacks of grain, or in crops standing in the fields, whoever ignited the fire shall repay the damages.

22:7  If a man deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, he shall pay double.

7  And if any one give to his neighbour money or goods to keep, and they be stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief be found he shall repay double.

7  If anyone will have entrusted money, or a container, to his friend to keep, and if these have been stolen from the one who received them: if the thief is found, he shall repay double.

22:8  If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

8  But if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall come forward before God, and shall swear that surely he has not wrought wickedly in regard of any part of his neighbour’s deposit,

22:9  For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith: 'This is it,' the cause of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbour.

9  according to every injury alleged, both concerning a calf, and an ass, and a sheep, and a garment, and every alleged loss, whatsoever in fact it may be, —the judgement of both shall proceed before God, and he that is convicted by God shall repay to his neighbour double.

22:10  If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep, and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it;

10  And if any one give to his neighbour to keep a calf or sheep or any beast, and it be wounded or die or be taken, and no one know,

10  If anyone will have entrusted a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to the keeping of his neighbor, and it will have died, or become disabled, or have been captured by enemies, and no one saw it,

22:11  the oath of YHWH shall be between them both, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner thereof shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.

11  an oath of God shall be between both, each swearing that he has surely not at all been guilty in the matter of his neighbour’s deposit; and so his master shall hold him guiltless, and he shall not make compensation.

11  then there shall be an oath between them, that he did not lay his hand on the goods of his neighbor. And the owner shall accept the oath, and he will not be compelled to make restitution.

22:12  But if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.

12  And if it be stolen from him, he shall make compensation to the owner.

12  But if it will have been taken away by theft, he shall repay the damages to the owner.

22:13  If it be torn in pieces, let him bring it for witness; he shall not make good that which was torn.

13  And if it be seized of beasts, he shall bring him to witness the prey, and he shall not make compensation.

13  If it has been eaten by a wild beast, let him carry what was killed to him, and then he shall not make restitution.

22:14  And if a man borrow aught of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.

14  And if any one borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be wounded or die or be carried away, and the owner of it be not with it, he shall make compensation.

14  If anyone borrows from his neighbor any of these things, and it has died or been disabled when the owner was not present, he shall be compelled to make restitution.

22:15  If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good; if it be a hireling, he loseth his hire.

15  But if the owner be with it, he shall not make compensation: but if it be a hired thing, there shall be a compensation to him instead of his hire.

22:16  And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife.

16  If a man has led astray a virgin not yet betrothed, and he has slept with her, he shall pay her dowry and have her as a wife.

22:17  If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

17  And if her father positively refuse, and will not consent to give her to him for a wife, he shall pay compensation to her father according to the amount of the dowry of virgins.

17  If the father of the virgin is not willing to give her, he shall pay money according to manner of a dowry, which virgins are accustomed to receive.

22:18  Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live.

18  Ye shall not save the lives of sorcerers.

18  You shall not permit practitioners of the black arts to live.

22:19  Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.

19  Every one that lies with a beast ye shall surely put to death.

19  Whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal shall be put to death.

22:20  He that sacrificeth unto the gods, save unto YHWH only, shall be utterly destroyed.

20  Whoever immolates to gods, other than to the Lord, shall be killed.

20  He who sacrifices to idols shall be utterly destroyed; but to the LORD alone shall he sacrifice.

22:21  And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

21  You shall not harass the newcomer, nor shall you afflict him. For you yourselves were once newcomers in the land of Egypt.

21  Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22:22  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

22  Ye shall hurt no widow or orphan.

22  You shall not harm a widow or an orphan.

22:23  If thou afflict them in any wise--for if they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry--

23  If you hurt them, they will cry out to me, and I will hear their cry.

22:24  My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

24  And my fury will be enraged, and I will strike you down with the sword. And your wives will become widows, and your sons will become orphans.

22:25  If thou lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.

25  And if thou shouldest lend money to thy poor brother who is by thee, thou shalt not be hard upon him thou shalt not exact usury of him.

25  If you lend money to the poor of my people who live among you, you shall not coerce them like a collector, nor oppress them with usury.

22:26  If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him by that the sun goeth down;

26  If you at all take your neighbor's clothes as a pledge, you must give them back to him by sunset;

22:27  for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin; wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto Me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

27  For it is all that he has to cover himself, to clothe his body; nor does he have anything else in which to sleep. If he cries out to me, I will hear him, because I am compassionate.

27  For they are his only covering, it is his raiment for his body; with what shall he sleep? And if he prays before me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.

22:28  Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse a ruler of thy people.

28  You shall not disparage the heavens, and you shall not speak evil of the leader of your people.

28  You shall not revile the judge nor curse the ruler of your people.

22:29  Thou shalt not delay to offer of the fulness of thy harvest, and of the outflow of thy presses. The first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me.

29  You shall not delay in paying your tithes and your first-fruits. You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me.

22:30  Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep; seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it Me.

30  You shall do likewise with those of the oxen and the sheep. For seven days, let it be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall repay it to me.

22:31  And ye shall be holy men unto Me; therefore ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

31  You shall be holy men for me. The flesh, from which beasts will have tasted, you shall not eat, but you will throw it to the dogs.”