New American Standard Bible 1995

English Standard Version

1"Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

1“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.

2"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment.

2When 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 alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.

3If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4"If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone.

4If 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"But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,'

5But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’

6then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

6then 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 be his slave forever.

7"If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do.

7“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

8"If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her.

8If 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 broken faith with her.

9"If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.

9If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.

10"If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.

10If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.

11"If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

11And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

12"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

12“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.

13"But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.

13But 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"If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.

14But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

15"He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

15“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

16"He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

16“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.

17"He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

17“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

18"If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but remains 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 takes to his bed,

19if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed.

19then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.

20"If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at 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 avenged.

21"If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

21But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.

22"If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.

22“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23"But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,

23But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,

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

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

25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

25burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26"If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.

26“When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye.

27"And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

27If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.

28"If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox 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 not be liable.

29"If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.

29But 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 a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.

30If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.

31"Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.

31If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.

32"If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

32If 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"If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

33“When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

34the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.

35"If one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox.

35“When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share.

36"Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.

36Or 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 repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

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