Exodus 21; Exodus 22; Matthew 19

1 Then God said to Moses, "These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites:

2 "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free, and he will have to pay nothing.

3 If he is not married when he becomes your slave, he must leave without a wife. But if he is married when he becomes your slave, he may take his wife with him.

4 If the slave's master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the woman and her children will belong to the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave.

5 "But if the slave says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children, and I don't want to go free,'

6 then the slave's master must take him to God. The master is to take him to a door or doorframe and punch a hole through the slave's ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that master all his life.

7 "If a man sells his daughter as a slave, the rules for setting her free are different from the rules for setting the male slaves free.

8 If the master wanted to marry her but then decided he was not pleased with her, he must let one of her close relatives buy her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly.

9 If the man who bought her promises to let the woman marry his son, he must treat her as a daughter.

10 If the man who bought her marries another woman, he must not keep his first wife from having food or clothing or sexual relations.

11 If he does not give her these three things, she may go free, and she owes him no money.

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

13 But if a person kills someone accidentally, God allowed that to happen, so the person must go to a place I will choose.

14 But if someone plans and murders another person on purpose, put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.

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

16 "Anyone who kidnaps someone and either sells him as a slave or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.

17 "Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.

18 "If two men argue, and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist, the one who is hurt but not killed might have to stay in bed.

19 Later if he is able to get up and walk around outside with his walking stick, the one who hit him is not to be punished. But he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and he must support the injured man until he is completely healed.

20 "If a man beats his male or female slave with a stick, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner must be punished.

21 But if the slave gets well after a day or two, the owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him.

22 "Suppose two men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman, causing the baby to come out. If there is no further injury, the man who caused the accident must pay money -- whatever amount the woman's husband says and the court allows.

23 But if there is further injury, then the punishment that must be paid is life for life,

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

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

26 "If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye, and the eye is blinded, the man is to free the slave to pay for the eye.

27 If a master knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth.

28 "If a man's bull kills a man or woman, you must kill that bull by throwing stones at it, and you should not eat the bull. But the owner of the bull is not guilty.

29 However, suppose the bull has hurt people in the past and the owner, though warned, did not keep it in a pen. Then if it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned to death, and the owner must also be put to death.

30 But if the family of the dead person accepts money, the one who owned the bull may buy back his life, but he must pay whatever is demanded.

31 Use this same law if the bull kills a person's son or daughter.

32 If the bull kills a male or female slave, the owner must pay the master the price for a new slave, or twelve ounces of silver, and the bull must also be stoned to death.

33 "If a man takes the cover off a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and another man's ox or donkey comes and falls into it,

34 the owner of the pit must pay the owner of the animal for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the one who pays.

35 "If a man's bull kills another man's bull, they must sell the bull that is alive. Both men will get half of the money and half of the bull that was killed.

36 But if a person's bull has hurt other animals in the past and the owner did not keep it in a pen, that owner must pay bull for bull, and the dead animal is his.

1 "If a man steals a bull or a sheep and kills or sells it, he must pay back five bulls for the one bull he stole and four sheep for the one sheep he stole.

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4 "The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. If he owns nothing, he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. If the stolen animal is found alive with the robber, he must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole, whether it was a bull, donkey, or sheep. "If a thief is killed while breaking into a house at night, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if this happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.

5 "If a man lets his farm animal graze in his field or vineyard, and it wanders into another man's field or vineyard, the owner of the animal must pay back the loss from the best of his crop.

6 "Suppose a man starts a fire that spreads through the thornbushes to his neighbor's field. If the fire burns his neighbor's growing grain or grain that has been stacked, or if it burns his whole field, the person who started the fire must pay for what was burned.

7 "Suppose a man gives his neighbor money or other things to keep for him and those things are stolen from the neighbor's house. If the thief is caught, he must pay back twice as much as he stole.

8 But if the thief is never found, the owner of the house must make a promise before God that he has not stolen his neighbor's things.

9 "Suppose two men disagree about who owns something -- whether ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or something else that is lost. If each says, 'This is mine,' each man must bring his case to God. God's judges will decide who is guilty, and that person must pay the other man twice as much as the object is worth.

10 "Suppose a man asks his neighbor to keep his donkey, ox, sheep, or some other animal for him, and that animal dies, gets hurt, or is taken away, without anyone seeing what happened.

11 That neighbor must promise before the Lord that he did not harm or kill the other man's animal, and the owner of the animal must accept his promise made before God. The neighbor does not have to pay the owner for the animal.

12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must pay the owner for it.

13 If wild animals killed it, the neighbor must bring the body as proof, and he will not have to pay for the animal that was killed.

14 "If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it gets hurt or dies while the owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal.

15 But if the owner is with the animal, the one who borrowed it does not have to pay. If the animal was rented, the rental price covers the loss.

16 "Suppose a man finds a woman who is not pledged to be married and has never had sexual relations with a man. If he tricks her into having sexual relations with him, he must give her family the payment to marry her, and she will become his wife.

17 But if her father refuses to allow his daughter to marry him, the man must still give the usual payment for a bride who has never had sexual relations.

18 "Put to death any woman who does evil magic.

19 "Put to death anyone who has sexual relations with an animal.

20 "Destroy completely any person who makes a sacrifice to any god except the Lord.

21 "Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22 "Do not cheat a widow or an orphan.

23 If you do, and they cry out to me for help, I certainly will hear their cry.

24 And I will be very angry and kill you in war. Then your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans.

25 "If you lend money to one of my people who is poor, do not treat him as a moneylender would. Charge him nothing for using your money.

26 If your neighbor gives you his coat as a promise for the money he owes you, you must give it back to him by sunset,

27 because it is the only cover to keep his body warm. He has nothing else to sleep in. If he cries out to me for help, I will listen, because I am merciful.

28 "You must not speak against God or curse a leader of your people.

29 "Do not hold back your offering from the first of your harvest and the first wine that you make. Also, you must give me your firstborn sons.

30 You must do the same with your bulls and your sheep. Let the firstborn males stay with their mothers for seven days, and on the eighth day you must give them to me.

31 "You are to be my holy people. You must not eat the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Instead, give it to the dogs.

1 After Jesus said all these things, he left Galilee and went into the area of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River.

2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trick him. They asked, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any reason he chooses?"

4 Jesus answered, "Surely you have read in the Scriptures: When God made the world, 'he made them male and female.'

5 And God said, 'So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.'

6 So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them."

7 The Pharisees asked, "Why then did Moses give a command for a man to divorce his wife by giving her divorce papers?"

8 Jesus answered, "Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you refused to accept God's teaching, but divorce was not allowed in the beginning.

9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if his wife has sexual relations with another man."

10 The followers said to him, "If that is the only reason a man can divorce his wife, it is better not to marry."

11 Jesus answered, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but God has made some able to accept it.

12 There are different reasons why some men cannot marry. Some men were born without the ability to become fathers. Others were made that way later in life by other people. And some men have given up marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. But the person who can marry should accept this teaching about marriage."

13 Then the people brought their little children to Jesus so he could put his hands on themn and pray for them. His followers told them to stop,

14 but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are like these children."

15 After Jesus put his hands on the children, he left there.

16 A man came to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have life forever?"

17 Jesus answered, "Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. But if you want to have life forever, obey the commands."

18 The man asked, "Which commands?" Jesus answered, "'You must not murder anyone; you must not be guilty of adultery; you must not steal; you must not tell lies about your neighbor;

19 honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.'"

20 The young man said, "I have obeyed all these things. What else do I need to do?"

21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, then go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. If you do this, you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me."

22 But when the young man heard this, he left sorrowfully, because he was rich.

23 Then Jesus said to his followers, "I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 Yes, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

25 When Jesus' followers heard this, they were very surprised and asked, "Then who can be saved?"

26 Jesus looked at them and said, "This is something people cannot do, but God can do all things."

27 Peter said to Jesus, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we have?"

28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, when the age to come has arrived, the Son of Man will sit on his great throne. All of you who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And all those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left, and they will have life forever.

30 Many who have the highest place now will have the lowest place in the future. And many who have the lowest place now will have the highest place in the future.