Exodus 21

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 "These are the rules you shall lay before them.	1 "Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.
2 When you purchase a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall be given his freedom without cost.	2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.
3 If he comes into service alone, he shall leave alone; if he comes with a wife, his wife shall leave with him.	3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 But if his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall remain the master's property and the man shall leave alone.	4 If 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 alone.
5 If, however, the slave declares, 'I am devoted to my master and my wife and children; I will not go free,'	5 But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,'
6 his master shall bring him to God and there, at the door or doorpost, he shall pierce his ear with an awl, thus keeping him as his slave forever.	6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for life.
7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.	7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
8 But if her master, who had destined her for himself, dislikes her, he shall let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreigner, since he has broken faith with her.	8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt faithlessly with her.
9 If he destines her for his son, he shall treat her like a daughter.	9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.
10 If he takes another wife, he shall not withhold her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.	10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.
11 If he does not grant her these three things, she shall be given her freedom absolutely, without cost to her.	11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12 "Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death.	12 "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
13 He, however, who did not hunt a man down, but caused his death by an act of God, may flee to a place which I will set apart for this purpose.	13 But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.
14 But when a man kills another after maliciously scheming to do so, you must take him even from my altar and put him to death.	14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him treacherously, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death.	15 "Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 "A kidnaper, whether he sells his victim or still has him when caught, shall be put to death.	16 "Whoever steals a man, whether he sells him or is found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
17 "Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death.	17 "Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
18 "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, not mortally, but enough to put him in bed,	18 "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but keeps his bed,
19 the one who struck the blow shall be acquitted, provided the other can get up and walk around with the help of his staff. Still, he must compensate him for his enforced idleness and provide for his complete cure.	19 then if the man rises again and walks abroad with his staff, he that struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.
20 "When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.	20 "When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.
21 If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.	21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money.
22 "When men have a fight and hurt a pregnant woman, so that she suffers a miscarriage, but no further injury, the guilty one shall be fined as much as the woman's husband demands of him, and he shall pay in the presence of the judges.	22 "When men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life,	23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,	24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.	25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 "When a man strikes his male or female slave in the eye and destroys the use of the eye, he shall let the slave go free in compensation for the eye.	26 "When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free for the eye's sake.
27 If he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let the slave go free in compensation for the tooth.	27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free for the tooth's sake.
28 "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned; its flesh may not be eaten. The owner of the ox, however, shall go unpunished.	28 "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be clear.
29 But if an ox was previously in the habit of goring people and its owner, though warned, would not keep it in; should it then kill a man or a woman, not only must the ox be stoned, but its owner also must be put to death.	29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.
30 If, however, a fine is imposed on him, he must pay in ransom for his life whatever amount is imposed on him.	30 If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid upon him.
31 This law applies if it is a boy or a girl that the ox gores.	31 If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.
32 But if it is a male or a female slave that it gores, he must pay the owner of the slave thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.	32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 "When a man uncovers or digs a cistern and does not cover it over again, should an ox or an ass fall into it,	33 "When a man leaves a pit open, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it,
34 the owner of the cistern must make good by restoring the value of the animal to its owner; the dead animal, however, he may keep.	34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 "When one man's ox hurts another's ox so badly that it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide this money as well as the dead animal equally between them.	35 "When one man's ox hurts anothers, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the price of it; and the dead beast also they shall divide.
36 But if it was known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner would not keep it in, he must make full restitution, an ox for an ox; but the dead animal he may keep. (v 37) "When a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for the one ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.	36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.