International Standard Version

English Standard Version

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

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

2"When you acquire a Hebrew servant, he is to serve for six years, and in the seventh he is to go out a free man without paying anything.

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

3If he came in by himself, he is to go out by himself. If he was married, his wife is to 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.

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

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.

5But if the servant, in fact, says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won't go out 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 is to bring him before the judges and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to 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"When a man sells his daughter as a servant, she won't go out as the male servants do.

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

8If she's displeasing to her master who selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He does not have the right to sell her to foreign people, because he has dealt unfairly with 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.

9If he has selected her for his son, he is to treat her according to the ordinance for daughters.

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

10If he takes another woman for himself, he may not withhold from the first her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.

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

11If he does not do these three things for her, she may go out without paying anything at all."

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

12"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies is certainly to be put to death.

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

13If he didn't lie in wait, but God let him fall into his reach, then I'll appoint for 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.

14If a man acts deliberately against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you are to take him to die even if he's at my altar.

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

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

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

16"Whoever kidnaps a person, whether he has sold him or whether the victim is still in his possession, is certainly to 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"Whoever curses his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death.

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

18"If people quarrel and one strikes the other with a rock or his fist, and he does not die but ends up 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,

19and the injured person then gets up and walks around outside with the help of his staff, the one who struck him is not liable, except that he is to compensate him for his loss of time and take care of his complete recovery.

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 servant with a stick and he or she dies as a direct result, the master must 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.

21But if the servant survives a day or two, the master is not to be punished because the servant 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 two men are fighting and they strike a pregnant woman and her children are born prematurely, but there is no harm, he is certainly to be fined as the husband of the woman demands of him, and he will pay as the court decides.

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.

23If there is harm, then you are to require 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, and bruise for bruise.

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

26"If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant and destroys it, he is to release him as a free man in exchange for 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.

27If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he is to release him as a free man in exchange for 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 woman so that they die, the ox is certainly to be stoned and its flesh may not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is free from liability.

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.

29But if the ox has gored previously, and its owner has been warned about it but didn't restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, the ox is to be stoned and its owner also is to 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.

30If a fine is imposed on him, he may pay all that was imposed on him as a ransom for his life.

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

31This same ordinance applies if it gores a son or daughter.

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 servant, the owner is to give 30 shekels of silver to the servant's master, and the ox is to 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.

33If a man opens a pit or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or 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 is to make restitution. He is to pay money to its owner, and the dead animal will 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 a man's ox strikes his neighbor's ox and it dies, they are to sell the live ox and divide the money. They also are to divide the dead animal.

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.

36But if it was known that the ox had gored previously, and its owner didn't restrain it, he shall certainly repay ox for ox, and the dead ox will 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.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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.