26AND NOT YOU MUST GO UP ON STEPS TO ALTAR MY THAT NOT IT WILL BE UNCOVERED NAKEDNESS YOUR ON IT 26And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’ [’’]
1AND THESE [ARE] THE JUDGMENTS WHICH YOU WILL SET <TO> BEFORE THEM Hebrew Servants (Deuteronomy 15:12–18) 1“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
2FOR YOU WILL BUY A SLAVE HEBREW SIX YEARS HE WILL SERVE AND IN THE SEVENTH [YEAR] HE WILL GO OUT TO <THE> FREE [PERSON] WITHOUT PAYING 2If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.
3IF WITH BODY HIS HE WILL COME WITH BODY HIS HE WILL GO OUT IF [IS THE] HUSBAND OF A WIFE HE AND SHE WILL GO OUT WIFE HIS WITH HIM 3If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him.
4IF MASTER<S> HIS HE WILL GIVE TO <THE> HIM A WIFE AND SHE WILL BEAR TO <THE> HIM SONS OR DAUGHTERS THE WOMAN AND CHILDREN HER SHE WILL BELONG TO MASTER<S> HER AND HE HE WILL GO OUT WITH BODY HIS 4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
5AND IF CAREFULLY <TO SAY> HE WILL SAY THE SLAVE I LOVE <OBJ.> MASTER MY <OBJ.> WIFE MY AND <OBJ.> CHILDREN MY NOT I WILL GO OUT A FREE [PERSON] 5But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’
6AND HE WILL BRING NEAR HIM MASTER<S> HIS TO <THE> GOD AND HE WILL BRING NEAR HIM TO THE DOOR OR TO THE DOORPOST AND HE WILL PIERCE MASTER<S> HIS <OBJ.> EAR HIS WITH THE AWL AND HE WILL SERVE HIM FOR EVER 6then his master is to bring him before the judges.*NoteCloseOr before God And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
7AND IF HE WILL SELL A MAN <OBJ.> DAUGHTER HIS TO A FEMALE SLAVE NOT SHE WILL GO OUT WHEN GO OUT THE [MALE] SLAVES 7And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.
8IF SHE IS BAD IN [THE] EYES OF MASTER<S> HER WHO FOR <THE> HIMSELF HE DESIGNATED HER AND HE WILL LET BE RANSOMED HER TO A PEOPLE FOREIGN NOT HE WILL HAVE DOMINION TO SELL HER BECAUSE HAS DEALT TREACHEROUSLY HE WITH <THE> HER 8If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself,*NoteCloseOr so that he does not designate her for himself he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.
9AND IF FOR SON HIS HE WILL DESIGNATE HER ACCORDING TO [THE] CUSTOM OF <THE> DAUGHTERS HE WILL DO TO <THE> HER 9And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.
10IF ANOTHER [WOMAN] HE WILL TAKE FOR <THE> HIMSELF FOOD HER COVERING HER AND RIGHT TO INTERCOURSE HER NOT HE WILL REDUCE 10If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
11AND IF THREE [THINGS] THESE NOT HE WILL DO FOR <THE> HER AND SHE WILL GO OUT WITHOUT PAYING NOT MONEY 11If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to go without monetary payment.
12[ONE WHO] WILL STRIKE <OF> ANYONE AND HE WILL DIE CERTAINLY <TO TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH Personal Injury Laws 12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
13AND THAT NOT HE WAS LYING IN WAIT AND <THE> GOD HE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO HAND HIS AND I WILL DESIGNATE FOR <THE> YOU A PLACE WHERE HE WILL FLEE THERE <TOWARDS> 13If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
14AND IF HE WILL ACT PRESUMPTUOUSLY ANYONE ON NEIGHBOR HIS TO KILL HIM WITH CUNNING FROM WITH ALTAR MY YOU WILL TAKE HIM TO DIE 14But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
15AND [ONE WHO] WILL STRIKE <OF> FATHER HIS AND MOTHER HIS CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH 15Whoever strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death.
16AND [ONE WHO] WILL STEAL ANYONE AND HE WILL SELL HIM AND HE WILL BE FOUND IN HAND HIS CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH 16Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
17AND [ONE WHO] WILL CURSE FATHER HIS AND MOTHER HIS CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH 17Anyone who curses*NoteCloseOr dishonors or reviles his father or mother must surely be put to death.*NoteCloseCited in Matthew 15:4 and Mark 7:10
18AND IF THEY WILL QUARREL! MEN AND HE WILL STRIKE ANYONE <OBJ.> NEIGHBOR HIS WITH A STONE OR WITH A FIST AND NOT HE WILL DIE AND HE WILL FALL TO A BED 18If men are quarreling and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
19IF HE WILL ARISE AND HE WILL WALK ABOUT ON THE OUTSIDE ON STAFF HIS AND HE WILL BE FREE FROM GUILT THE [ONE WHO] STRUCK ONLY SITTING STILL HIS HE WILL PAY FOR AND CERTAINLY <TO HEAL> HE WILL HAVE [HIM] HEALED 19then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.
20AND IF HE WILL STRIKE ANYONE <OBJ.> [MALE] SLAVE HIS OR <OBJ.> FEMALE SLAVE HIS WITH THE ROD AND HE WILL DIE UNDER HAND HIS CERTAINLY <TO AVENGE> HE WILL BE AVENGED 20If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
21NEVERTHELESS IF A DAY OR TWO DAYS HE WILL REMAIN NOT HE WILL BE AVENGED FOR [IS] MONEY HIS HE 21However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
22AND IF THEY WILL STRUGGLE TOGETHER MEN AND THEY WILL STRIKE A WOMAN PREGNANT AND THEY WILL COME OUT CHILDREN HER AND NOT IT WILL BE HARM CERTAINLY <TO FINE> HE WILL BE FINED JUST AS HE WILL IMPOSE ON HIM [THE] HUSBAND OF THE WOMAN AND HE WILL GIVE FOR [THE] ESTIMATE 22If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely,*NoteCloseLiterally and her children come out but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.
23AND IF HARM IT WILL BE AND YOU WILL GIVE A LIFE IN PLACE OF A LIFE 23But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—
24AN EYE IN PLACE OF AN EYE A TOOTH IN PLACE OF A TOOTH A HAND IN PLACE OF A HAND A FOOT IN PLACE OF A FOOT 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth,*NoteCloseCited in Matthew 5:38 hand for hand, foot for foot,
25BURNING IN PLACE OF BURNING BRUISE IN PLACE OF BRUISE WOUND IN PLACE OF WOUND 25burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
26AND IF HE WILL STRIKE ANYONE <OBJ.> [THE] EYE OF [MALE] SLAVE HIS OR <OBJ.> [THE] EYE OF FEMALE SLAVE HIS AND HE WILL DESTROY IT TO <THE> FREE [PERSON] HE WILL SET FREE HIM IN PLACE OF EYE HIS 26If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.
27AND IF [THE] TOOTH OF [MALE] SLAVE HIS OR [THE] TOOTH OF FEMALE SLAVE HIS HE WILL KNOCK OUT TO <THE> FREE [PERSON] HE WILL SET FREE HIM IN PLACE OF TOOTH HIS 27And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.
28AND IF IT WILL GORE AN OX <OBJ.> A MAN OR <OBJ.> A WOMAN AND HE WILL DIE CERTAINLY <TO STONE> IT WILL BE STONED TO DEATH THE OX AND NOT IT WILL BE EATEN <OBJ.> MEAT ITS AND [THE] OWNER OF THE OX [WILL BE] FREE FROM GUILT 28If an ox*NoteCloseOr a bull; also in verses 29–36 gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
29AND IF [WILL BE] AN OX PRONE TO GORE IT FROM YESTERDAY THREE DAYS AGO AND IT HAS BEEN PROTESTED ON OWNER<S> ITS AND NOT HE WILL GUARD IT AND IT WILL KILL A MAN OR A WOMAN THE OX IT WILL BE STONED TO DEATH AND ALSO OWNER<S> ITS HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH 29But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.
30IF A RANSOM IT WILL BE IMPOSED ON HIM AND HE WILL GIVE [THE] RANSOM OF LIFE HIS ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IT WILL BE IMPOSED ON HIM 30If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.
31OR A SON IT WILL GORE OR A DAUGHTER IT WILL GORE ACCORDING TO THE JUDGMENT <THE> THIS IT WILL BE DONE TO <THE> HIM 31If the ox gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
32IF A [MALE] SLAVE IT WILL GORE THE OX OR A FEMALE SLAVE SILVER THIRTY SHEKELS HE WILL GIVE TO MASTER<S> HIS AND THE OX IT WILL BE STONED TO DEATH 32If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver*NoteClose30 shekels is approximately 12 ounces or 342 grams of silver. to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.
33AND IF HE WILL OPEN ANYONE A PIT OR FOR HE WILL DIG ANYONE A PIT AND NOT HE WILL COVER IT AND IT WILL FALL THERE <TOWARDS> AN OX OR A DONKEY 33If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34[THE] OWNER OF THE PIT HE WILL MAKE COMPENSATION SILVER HE WILL REPAY TO OWNER<S> ITS AND THE DEAD [ANIMAL] IT WILL BE[LONG] TO <THE> HIM 34the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.
35AND IF IT WILL STRIKE [THE] OX OF ANYONE <OBJ.> [THE] OX OF NEIGHBOR HIS AND IT WILL DIE AND THEY WILL SELL <OBJ.> THE OX <THE> LIVING AND THEY WILL DIVIDE <OBJ.> SILVER ITS AND ALSO <OBJ.> THE DEAD [ANIMAL] THEY WILL DIVIDE! 35If a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live one and divide the proceeds; they also must divide the dead animal.
36OR IT IS KNOWN THAT [IS] AN OX PRONE TO GORE IT FROM YESTERDAY THREE DAYS AGO AND NOT HE GUARDED IT OWNER<S> ITS CERTAINLY <MAKE COMPENSATION> HE WILL MAKE COMPENSATION AN OX IN PLACE OF THE OX AND THE DEAD [ANIMAL] IT WILL BE[LONG] TO <THE> HIM 36But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring, yet its owner failed to restrain it, he shall pay full compensation, ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his. [’’]