Exodus 21

Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

1God said, "Here are the laws. Give them to the people."

2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

2"If you buy a Hebrew servant, he must work six years. In the seventh year he goes free. He pays nothing."

3If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

3"If he came alone, he leaves alone. If he came with a wife, she leaves with him."

4If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

4"His master may have given him a wife who had sons or daughters. Then the wife and children stay with the master. The man leaves by himself."

5And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

5"But the servant may say plainly, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I do not want to go free.'"

6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

6"Then his master brings him to the judges, the men who decide what is right. The master takes him to the door or the doorpost. He pushes a sharp tool through the man's ear. That man will serve him for the rest of his life."

NoteThe KJV word is "aul," which we spell "awl." It is a small pointed tool used to make holes in leather or wood.

7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

7"A man may sell his daughter to be a servant. She does not go free the way the men servants do."

8If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

8"Her master may pick her for himself and then not want her. Then he must let someone buy her back. He may not sell her to people from another country. He broke his promise to her."

9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

9"If he picks her for his son, he must treat her like his own daughter."

10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

10"If he marries another woman, he must not give the first wife less. She still gets her food, her clothes, and her rights as a wife."

11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

11"If he does not give her these three things, she may leave. She pays nothing."

12He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

12"Anyone who hits a man and kills him must be put to death."

13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

13"But maybe he did not plan it, and God let it happen. Then I will choose a safe place. He may run there."

14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

14"But a man may plan to kill his neighbor on purpose. Take him away even from my altar, the place where gifts are given to me. He must be put to death."

15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

15"Anyone who hits his father or his mother must be put to death."

16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

16"Anyone who steals a person must be put to death. This is true whether he sells him or still keeps him."

17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

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

18And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

18"Two men may fight, and one hits the other with a stone or his fist. The hurt man does not die, but he must stay in bed."

19If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

19"If he gets up and walks outside with a walking stick, the other man is not punished. But he must pay for the work time the hurt man lost. He must also pay until the man is fully well."

NoteThe KJV says the man who hit him "shall be quit." That means he goes free from blame, not that he quits something.

20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

20"If a man beats his man servant or woman servant with a stick and the servant dies, he must be punished."

21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

21"But if the servant gets up after a day or two, the man is not punished. The servant belonged to him."

22If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

22"Men may be fighting and hit a woman who is going to have a baby, so her baby comes out early. If no other harm is done, the man must pay a fine. The woman's husband says how much. The judges agree on the amount."

Note"Her fruit depart" means the baby is born early. "Mischief" in 1611 English did not mean a small prank. It meant serious harm or injury.

23And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

23"But if there is serious harm, then the payment is a life for a life."

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

24"An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A hand for a hand. A foot for a foot."

25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

25"A burn for a burn. A wound for a wound. A bruise for a bruise."

26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

26"A man may hit his servant's eye so the eye is ruined. Then he must let that servant go free. That makes up for the eye."

27And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

27"A man may knock out a servant's tooth. Then he must let that servant go free. That makes up for the tooth."

28If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

28"An ox may push a man or woman with its horns and kill them. Then people must throw stones at the ox until it dies. No one may eat its meat. But the owner is not blamed."

29But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

29"Maybe the ox hurt people with its horns before. The owner was told, but he did not shut it in. If the ox kills someone, the ox is killed with stones. The owner must be put to death too."

30If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

30"They may ask him for money instead. Then he pays the amount they name, and he keeps his life."

31Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

31"The same rule is used if the ox kills someone's son or daughter."

32If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

32"If the ox kills a servant, the owner pays the servant's master thirty pieces of silver. The ox is killed with stones."

NoteA shekel was a weight of silver used as money. Thirty shekels was about the price paid for a servant.

33And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;

33"A man may open or dig a hole and leave it uncovered. Then an ox or a donkey falls in."

34The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

34"The owner of the hole must pay for it. He gives money to the animal's owner. He keeps the dead animal."

35And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

35"One man's ox may hurt another man's ox and kill it. Then they sell the living ox and share the money. They share the dead ox too."

36Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

36"But maybe people knew the ox had hurt others before, and the owner did not shut it in. Then he must give one live ox for the dead one. He keeps the dead one."