Exodus 21

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 'These are the laws you must give them:	1 "These are the rules you shall lay before them.
2 'When you buy a Hebrew slave, his service will last for six years. In the seventh year he wil leave afree man without paying compensation.	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.
3 If he came single, he wil depart single; if he came married, his wife wil depart with him.	3 If he comes into service alone, he shall leave alone; if he comes with a wife, his wife shall leave with him.
4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children wilbelong to her master, and he wil depart alone.	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.
5 But if the slave says, "I love my master and my wife and children; I do not wish to be freed,"	5 If, however, the slave declares, 'I am devoted to my master and my wife and children; I will not go free,'
6 then his master wil bring him before God and then, leading him to the door or the doorpost, his masterwil pierce his ear with an awl, and the slave wil be permanently his.	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.
7 If a man sel s his daughter as a slave, she wil not leave as male slaves do.	7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.
8 If she does not please her master who intended her for himself, he must let her be bought back: hehas not the right to sell her to foreigners, for this would be a breach of faith with her.	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.
9 If he intends her for his son, he must treat her as custom requires daughters to be treated.	9 If he destines her for his son, he shall treat her like a daughter.
10 If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing or conjugal rights of the first one.	10 If he takes another wife, he shall not withhold her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.
11 Should he deprive her of these three things she wil leave a free woman, without payingcompensation.	11 If he does not grant her these three things, she shall be given her freedom absolutely, without cost to her.
12 'Anyone who by violence causes a death must be put to death.	12 "Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death.
13 If, however, he has not planned to do it but it comes from God by his hand, he can take refuge in aplace which I shal appoint for you.	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.
14 But should any person dare to kill another with deliberate planning, you wil take that person evenfrom my altar to be put to death.	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.
15 'Anyone who strikes father or mother wil be put to death.	15 Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death.
16 Anyone who abducts a person -- whether that person has since been sold or is stil held -- wil be putto death.	16 "A kidnaper, whether he sells his victim or still has him when caught, shall be put to death.
17 Anyone who curses father or mother will be put to death.	17 "Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death.
18 'If people quarrel and one strikes the other a blow with stone or fist so that the injured party, thoughnot dead, is confined to bed,	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,
19 but later recovers and can go about, even with a stick, the one who struck the blow wil have noliability, other than to compensate the injured party for the enforced inactivity and to take care of the injured partyuntil the cure is complete.	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.
20 'If someone beats his slave, male or female, and the slave dies at his hands, he must pay thepenalty.	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.
21 But should the slave survive for one or two days, he will pay no penalty because the slave is his byright of purchase.	21 If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.
22 'If people, when brawling, hurt a pregnant woman and she suffers a miscarriage but no further harmis done, the person responsible wil pay compensation as fixed by the woman's master, paying as much as thejudges decide.	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.
23 If further harm is done, however, you wil award life for life,	23 But if injury ensues, 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, stroke for stroke.	25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 'If anyone strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys the use of it, he wil give theslave his freedom to compensate for the eye.	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.
27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he wil give the slave his freedom tocompensate for the tooth.	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.
28 'If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox wil be stoned and its meat wil not be eaten, but theowner of the ox wil not be liable.	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.
29 But if the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and if its owner has been warned but has not keptit under control, then should this ox kil a man or woman, it wil be stoned and its owner put to death.	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.
30 If a ransom is imposed on the owner, he wil pay whatever is imposed, to redeem his life.	30 If, however, a fine is imposed on him, he must pay in ransom for his life whatever amount is imposed on him.
31 If the ox gores a boy or a girl, it will be treated in accordance with this same rule.	31 This law applies if it is a boy or a girl that the ox gores.
32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, its owner will pay the price -- thirty shekels -- to their master,and the ox will be stoned.	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.
33 'If anyone leaves a pit uncovered, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox, or donkey fal s into it,	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,
34 then the owner of the pit will make good the loss by compensating its owner, and the dead animal willbe his.	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.
35 If anyone's ox injures anyone else's ox causing its death, the owners wil sel and share the moneyfor it; they will also share the dead animal.	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.
36 But if it is common knowledge that the ox has been in the habit of goring before, and its owner hasnot kept it under control, the owner wil repay ox for ox, and wil keep the dead animal.	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.
37 'If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sel s it, he wil pay back five beasts from theherd for the ox, and four animals from the flock for the sheep.'