Exodus 21:1–23

“These are the ordinances that you must set before them:

Laws about Slaves

²“When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man ^ywithout paying anything. ^z3If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with ^aa wife, his wife is to leave with him. ⁴If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.

⁵“But if the slave declares: ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’ ^b6his master is to bring him to the judges ^cand then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

⁷“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, ^dshe is not to leave as the male slaves do. ^e8If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her. ⁹Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters. ¹⁰If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife. ^f11And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any exchange of money. ^g

Laws about Personal Injury

¹²“Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death. ^h13But if he didn’t intend any harm, ⁱand yet God caused it to happen by his hand, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee. ^j14If a person schemes and willfully ^kacts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from My altar to be put to death. ^l

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

¹⁶“Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession. ^m

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

¹⁸“When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed, ¹⁹if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time ^oand provide for his complete recovery.

²⁰“When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, ^pthe owner must be punished. ^q21However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished ^rbecause he is his owner’s property. ^st

²²“When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely ^ubut there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands ^vfrom him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment. ²³If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,