Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 These are the case laws that you should set before them:
1
“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.
2 When you buy a male Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he will go free without any payment.
2
When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.
3 If he came in single, he will leave single. If he came in married, then his wife will leave with him.
3
If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master. He will leave single.
4
If 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.
5 However, if the slave clearly states, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I don't want to go free,"
5
But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free, ’
6 then his master will bring him before God. He will bring him to the door or the doorpost. There his master will pierce his ear with a pointed tool, and he will serve him as his slave for life.
6
then 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 slave, she shouldn't be set free in the same way as male slaves are set free.
7
“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
8 If she doesn't please her master who chose her for himself, then her master must let her be bought back by her family. He has no right to sell her to a foreign people since he has treated her unfairly.
8
If 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.
9 If he assigns her to his son, he must give her the rights of a daughter.
9
If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.
10 If he takes another woman for himself, he may not reduce her food, clothing, or marital rights.
10
If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.
11 If he doesn't do these three things for her, she will go free without any payment, for no money.
11
And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12 Anyone who hits and kills someone should be put to death.
12
“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
13 If the killing wasn't on purpose but an accident allowed by God, then I will designate a place to which the killer can run away.
13
But 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.
14 But if someone plots and kills another person on purpose, you should remove the killer from my altar and put him to death.
14
But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 Anyone who violently hits their father or mother should be put to death.
15
“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 Anyone who kidnaps a person, whether they have been sold or are still being held, should 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 Anyone who curses their father or mother should be put to death.
17
“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
18 When two people are fighting and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist so that he is in bed for a while but doesn't die—
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,
19 if he recovers and is able to walk around outside with a cane, then the one who hit him shouldn't be punished, except to pay for the loss of time from work and to pay for his full recovery.
19
then 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 When a slave owner hits a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner should 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.
21 But if the slave gets up after a day or two, the slave owner shouldn't be punished because the slave is the owner's property.
21
But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.
22 When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that she has a miscarriage but no other injury occurs, then the guilty party will be fined what the woman's husband demands, as negotiated with the judges.
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.
23 If there is further injury, then you will give a life for a life,
23
But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
24
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 a burn for a burn, a bruise for a bruise, a wound for a wound.
25
burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 When a slave owner hits and blinds the eye of a male or female slave, he should let the slave go free on account of the 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.
27 If he knocks out a tooth of a male or female slave, he should let the slave go free on account of the tooth.
27
If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
28 When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox should be stoned to death, and the meat of the ox shouldn't be eaten. But the owner of the ox shouldn't be punished.
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.
29 However, if the ox had gored people in the past and its owner had been warned but didn't watch out for it, and the ox ends up killing a man or a woman, then the ox should be stoned to death, and its owner should also be put to death.
29
But 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.
30 If the owner has to pay compensation instead, he must pay the agreed amount to save his life.
30
If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.
31 If the ox gores a boy or a girl, this same case law applies to the owner.
31
If 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 slave, the owner will pay thirty silver shekels to the slave's owner, and the ox will be stoned to death.
32
If 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.
33 When someone leaves a pit open or digs a pit and doesn't cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into the pit,
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,
34 the owner of the pit must make good on the loss. He should pay money to the ox's owner, but he may keep the dead animal.
34
the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 When someone's ox hurts someone else's ox and it dies, then they should sell the live ox and divide its price. They should also divide the dead animal between them.
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.
36 But if the ox was known for goring in the past and its owner hadn't watched out for it, the owner must make good the loss, an ox for an ox, but may keep the dead animal.
36
Or 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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025