Instructions for Building Altars

22 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Thus you will say to the ⌊Israelites⌋,e ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from the heavens. 23 You will not make alongside me gods of silver, and gods of gold you will not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you will make for me, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered,f I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make an altar of stones for me, you will not build them as hewn stone, because if you use your chisel on it, you have defiled it. 26 You will not go up with steps onto my altar, that your nakedness not be exposed on it.’

Regulations Regarding Hebrew Slaves

21 “And these are the regulations that you will set before them.

2 ‘If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years, and in the seventh he will go out as free for nothing.a 3 If he comes in single, he will go out single. If he is the husband of a wife, his wife will go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears for him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master, and the slave will go out single. 5 But if the slave explicitly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,” 6 his master will present him to Godb and bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever.

7 “ ‘And if a man sells his daughter as a slave woman, she will not go out as male slaves go out. 8 If ⌊she does not please her master⌋c who selected her, he will allow her to be redeemed; he has no authority to sell her to foreign people, since he has dealt treacherously with her. 9 And if he selects her for his son, he shall do for her according to the regulations for daughters. 10 If he takes for himself another, he will not reduce her food, her clothing, or her right of cohabitation. 11 And if he does not do for her these three, she shall go out for nothing; there will not be silverd paid for her.

Regulations Regarding Murder, Manslaughter, and Various Injuries

12 “ ‘⌊Whoever strikes someone⌋e and he dies will surely be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait ⌊and it was an accident⌋,f I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man schemes against his neighbor to kill him by treachery,g you will take him from my altar to die. 15 And ⌊whoever strikes⌋h his father or his mother will surely be put to death.

16 “ ‘And ⌊whoever kidnaps someone⌋i and sells him, or he is found in his possession,j he will surely be put to death.

17 “ ‘And one who curses his father or his mother will surely be put to death.

18 “ ‘And if men quarrel and a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist and he does not die, but ⌊he is confined to bed⌋,k 19 if he stands and walks about in the outside on his staff, the striker will be unpunished; he will only pay for his inactivityl ⌊toward his full recovery⌋.”m 20 And if a man strikes his male slave or his female slave with the rod and he dies under his hand, he will surely be avenged. 21 Yet if he survives a day or two days, he will not be avenged, because he is his money.n

22 “ ‘And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out and there is not serious injury, he will surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands concerning him ⌊and as the judges determine⌋.o 23 And if there is serious injury, you will give life in place of life, 24 eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, foot in place of foot, 25 burn in place of burn, wound in place of wound, bruise in place of bruise.

26 “ ‘And if a man strikes the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and destroys it, he shall release him as free in place of his eye. 27 And if he causes the tooth of his male slave or the tooth of his female slave to fall out, he will release him as free in place of his tooth.

28 “ ‘And if an ox gores a man or a woman and he dies, the ox will surely be stoned, and its meat will not be eaten, and the owner of the ox is innocent. 29 But if it was a goring ox ⌊before⌋p and its owner was warned and did not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox will be stoned, and the owner also will be put to death. 30 If a ransom is set on him, he will pay the redemption money for his life according to all that is set on him. 31 If it gores a son or it gores a daughter, according to this regulation it shall be done to him. 32 If the ox gores a male slave or a female slave, he will give thirty shekels of silver to his master, and the ox will be stoned.

33 “ ‘If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and he does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit will pay restitution; he will pay silver to its owner, but the dead animal will be for him.q 35 And if a man’s ox injures the ox of his neighbor and it dies, they will sell the living ox and divide the ⌊money⌋,r and they will also divide the dead one. 36 Or if it was known that it was a goring ox ⌊before⌋s and its owner did not restrain it, he will surely make restitution, an ox in place of the ox, and the dead one will be for him.

Regulations Regarding Theft, Borrowing, and Accidental Damage or Loss

22 a “ ‘If a man steals an ox or small livestock and slaughters it or sells it, he will make restitution with five cattle in place of the ox and with four sheep or goats in place of the small livestock. 2 “ ‘If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him. 3 (If the sun has risen over him, there is bloodguilt for him. He will make full restitution. If ⌊he does not have enough⌋,b he will be sold for his theft. 4 If indeed the stolen item is found ⌊in his possession⌋c alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution.

5 “ ‘If a man grazes his livestock in a field or a vineyard and he releases his livestock and it grazes in the field of another, he will make restitution from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.

6 “ ‘If a fire is started and finds thorn bushes and a stack of sheaves or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire will surely make restitution.

7 “ ‘If a man gives to his neighbor money or objects to watch over and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found, he will make double restitution. 8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will be brought ⌊to the sanctuary⌋d to learn whether or not he reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession. 9 Concerning every account of transgression—concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property—where someone says, “This belongs to me,” the matter of the two of them will come to God;e whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.

10 “ ‘If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or small livestock or any beast to watch over and it dies or is injured or is captured when there is no one who sees, 11 the oath of Yahweh will be between the two of them concerning whether or not he has reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession, and its owner will accept this, and he will not make restitution. 12 But if indeed it was stolen from him, he will make restitution to its owner. 13 If indeed it was torn to pieces, he will bring it as evidence—the mangled carcass; he will not make restitution.

14 “ ‘If a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he will make restitution. 15 If its owner was with it, he will not make restitution; if it was hired, it came with its hiring fee.

Regulations Regarding Various Offences

16 “ ‘If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and he lies with her, he surely will give her bride price ⌊to have her as his wife⌋.f 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he will weigh out money according to the bride price for the virgin.

18 “ ‘You will not let a witch live.

19 “ ‘Anyone lying with an animal will surely be put to death.

20 “ ‘Whoever sacrifices to the gods—not to Yahweh, to him alone—will be destroyed.

Regulations Regarding Foreigners and the Poor

21 “ ‘You will not mistreat an alien, and you will not oppress him, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

22 “ ‘You will not afflict any widow or orphan. 23 If you indeed afflict him, yes, if he cries out at all to me, I will certainly hear his cry of distress. 24 And ⌊I will become angry⌋,g and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.

25 “ ‘If you lend money to my people, to the needy with you, you will not be to him as a creditor; you will not ⌊charge him interest⌋.h 26 If indeed you require the cloak of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him at sundown, 27 because it is his only garment; it is his cloak for his skin. In what will he sleep? ⌊And⌋i when he cries out to me, I will hear, because I am gracious.

Regulations Regarding Tribute and Holiness

28 “ ‘You will not curse God,j and you will not curse a leader among your people.

29 “ ‘You will not delay the fullness of your harvest and the juice from your press; you will give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 You will do likewise for your ox and for your sheep and goats; seven days it will be with its mother; on the eighth, you will give it to me. 31 And you will be men of holiness for me; and you will not eat meat from a carcass mangled in the field; you will throw it to the dog.

Regulations Regarding Justice

23 “ ‘You will not ⌊spread⌋a a false report. Do not lift your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness. 2 You will not ⌊follow⌋b a majorityc for evil, and you will not testify concerning a legal dispute to turn aside after a majorityd to pervert justice. 3 You will not be partial to a powerless …