Exodus 21 - Prayer Tents

Fair Treatment of Slaves

21"These are the regulations you must present to Israel.H4941H7760H6440 2"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom.H7069H5680H5650H8337H8141H5647H7637H3318H2670H2600 3If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him.H935H1610H3318H1610H1167H802H802H3318 4"If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master.H113H5414H802H3205H1121H1323H802H3206H113H3318H1610 5But the slave may declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don't want to go free.'H5650H559H559H157H113H802H1121H3318H2670 6If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.H113H5066H430H5066H1817H4201H113H7527H241H4836H5647H5769 7"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are.H376H4376H1323H519H3318H5650H3318 8If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her.H7451H5869H113H3259H6299H4376H5237H5971H4910H898 9But if the slave's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter.H3259H1121H6213H4941H1323 10"If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy.H3947H312H7607H3682H5772H1639 11If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.H6213H7969H3318H2600H3701

Cases of Personal Injury

12"Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death.H5221H376H4191H4191H4191 13But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety.H6658H430H579H3027H7760H4725H5127 14However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death.H376H2102H7453H2026H6195H3947H4196H4191 15"Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death.H5221H1H517H4191H4191 16"Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.H1589H376H4376H4672H3027H4191H4191 17"Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death.H7043H1H517H4191H4191 18"Now suppose two men quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured person does not die but is confined to bed.H582H7378H376H5221H7453H68H176H106H4191H5307H4904 19If he is later able to walk outside again, even with a crutch, the assailant will not be punished but must compensate his victim for lost wages and provide for his full recovery.H6965H1980H2351H4938H5221H5352H5414H7674H7495H7495 20"If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished.H376H5221H5650H519H7626H4191H3027H5358H5358 21But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property.H389H5975H3117H8147H5358H3701 22"Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman's husband demands and the judges approve.H582H5327H5062H802H2030H3206H3318H611H6064H6064H802H1167H7896H5414H6414 23But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life,H611H5414H5315H5315 24an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,H5869H5869H8127H8127H3027H3027H7272H7272 25a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.H3555H3555H6482H6482H2250H2250 26"If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye.H376H5221H5869H5650H5869H519H7843H7971H2670H8478H5869 27And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.H5307H5650H8127H519H8127H7971H2670H8127 28"If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable.H7794H5055H376H802H4191H7794H5619H5619H1320H398H1167H7794H5355 29But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death.H7794H5056H8543H8032H5749H1167H8104H4191H376H802H7794H5619H1167H4191 30However, the dead person's relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.H7896H3724H5414H6306H5315H7896 31"The same regulation applies if the ox gores a boy or a girl.H5055H1121H176H5055H1323H4941H6213 32But if the ox gores a slave, either male or female, the animal's owner must pay the slave's owner thirty silver coins, and the ox must be stoned.H7794H5055H5650H519H5414H113H7970H8255H3701H7794H5619 33"Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it.H376H6605H953H376H3738H953H3680H7794H2543H5307 34The owner of the pit must pay full compensation to the owner of the animal, but then he gets to keep the dead animal.H1167H953H7999H7725H3701H1167H4191 35"If someone's ox injures a neighbor's ox and the injured ox dies, then the two owners must sell the live ox and divide the price equally between them. They must also divide the dead animal.H376H7794H5062H7453H4191H4376H2416H7794H2673H3701H4191H2673 36But if the ox had a reputation for goring, yet its owner failed to keep it under control, he must pay full compensation—a live ox for the dead one—but he may keep the dead ox.H3045H7794H5056H8543H8032H1167H8104H7999H7999H7794H7794H4191