English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1"These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:

2When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.

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 without paying anything.

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

3If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with a 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 shall be her master’s, 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 belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.

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

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,'

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.

6his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

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

7"When a man sells his daughter as a concubine, she is not to leave as the male slaves do.

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.

8If 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.

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

9Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters.

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

10If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.

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

11And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any payment.

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

12"Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.

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.

13But if he did not intend any harm, and yet God allowed it to happen, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.

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

14If a person schemes and willfully acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from my altar to be put to death.

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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,

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.

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 and provide for his complete recovery.

20“When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.

20"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, the owner must be punished.

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

21However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his owner's property.

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.

22"When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.

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

23If there is an injury, then you must give 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, stripe for stripe.

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

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.

26"When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.

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

27If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.

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.

28"When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox's owner is innocent.

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.

29However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

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

30If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

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

31If it gores a son or a daughter, he is to be dealt with according to this same law.

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.

32If the ox gores a male or female slave, he must give thirty shekels of silver to the slave's master, and the ox must be stoned.

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,

33"When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

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

34the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.

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.

35"When a man's ox injures his neighbor's ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.

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.

36If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.