Chapter 21

Now these [are] the judgments which thou shalt set⁴ before them.

If thou buy⁴ an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve:⁴ and in the seventh he shall go out⁴ free for nothing.

If he came in⁴ by himself, he shall go out⁴ by himself: if he were married, ⁸⁰² then his wife shall go out¹ with him.

If his master have given⁴ him a wife, and she have born¹ him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out⁴ by himself.

And if the servant shall plainly² say,⁴ I love¹ my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out⁴ free:

Then his master shall bring⁵² him unto the judges; he shall also bring⁵² him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore¹ his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve¹ him for ever.

And if a man sell⁴ his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out⁴ as the menservants do.²

If she please not ⁵⁸⁶⁹ her master, who hath betrothed¹ her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed:⁵² to sell² her unto a strange nation he shall have no power,⁴ seeing he hath dealt deceitfully² with her.

And if he have betrothed⁴ her unto his son, he shall deal⁴ with her after the manner of daughters.

If he take⁴ him another [wife]; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.⁴

And if he do⁴ not these three unto her, then shall she go out¹ free without money.

He that smiteth⁵⁶ a man, so that he die,¹ shall be surely² put to death.⁹³

And if a man lie not in wait,¹ but God deliver¹⁴ [him] into his hand; then I will appoint¹ thee a place whither he shall flee.⁴

But if a man come presumptuously⁵⁵ upon his neighbour, to slay² him with guile; thou shalt take⁴ him from mine altar, that he may die.²

And he that smiteth⁵⁶ his father, or his mother, shall be surely² put to death.⁹³

And he that stealeth⁶ a man, and selleth¹ him, or if he be found⁸ in his hand, he shall surely² be put to death.⁹³

And he that curseth¹⁸ his father, or his mother, shall surely² be put to death.⁹³

And if men strive⁴ together, and one smite⁵² another with a stone, or with [his] fist, and he die⁴ not, but keepeth¹ [his] bed:

If he rise⁴ again, and walk⁹⁸ abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote⁵⁶ [him] be quit:⁸ only he shall pay⁴ [for] the loss of his time, and shall cause [him] to be thoroughly¹⁵ healed.¹⁷

And if a man smite⁵⁵ his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die¹ under his hand; he shall be surely² punished.¹¹

Notwithstanding, if he continue⁴ a day or two, he shall not be punished:⁹³ for he [is] his money.

If men strive,¹¹ and hurt¹ a woman with child, so that her fruit depart¹ [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely² punished,¹¹ according as the woman's husband will lay⁴ upon him; and he shall pay¹ as the judges [determine].

And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give¹ life for life,

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

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

And if a man smite⁵⁵ the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish;¹⁴ he shall let him go¹⁷ free for his eye's sake.

And if he smite out⁵⁵ his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go¹⁷ free for his tooth's sake.

If an ox gore⁴ a man or a woman, that they die:¹ then the ox shall be surely² stoned,¹¹ and his flesh shall not be eaten;¹¹ but the owner of the ox [shall be] quit.

But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, ⁸⁰³² and it hath been testified⁹⁰ to his owner, and he hath not kept⁴ him in, but that he hath killed⁵² a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned,¹¹ and his owner also shall be put to death.⁹³

If there be laid⁹³ on him a sum of money, then he shall give¹ for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid⁹³ upon him.

Whether he have gored⁴ a son, or have gored⁴ a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done¹¹ unto him.

If the ox shall push⁴ a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give⁴ unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.¹¹

And if a man shall open⁴ a pit, or if a man shall dig⁴ a pit, and not cover¹⁷ it, and an ox or an ass fall¹ therein;

The owner of the pit shall make [it] good,¹⁷ [and] give⁵⁵ money unto the owner of them; and the dead⁵ [beast] shall be his.

And if one man's ox hurt⁴ another's, ⁷⁷⁹⁴ that he die;¹ then they shall sell¹ the live ox, and divide¹ the money of it; and the dead⁵ [ox] also they shall divide.⁴

Or if it be known⁸ that the ox hath used to push in time past, ⁸⁰³² and his owner hath not kept⁴ him in; he shall surely¹⁵ pay¹⁷ ox for ox; and the dead⁵ shall be his own.