Good News Translation GNT
English Standard Version ESV
1 "Give the Israelites the following laws:
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“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.
2 If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay anything.
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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 was unmarried when he became your slave, he is not to take a wife with him when he leaves; but if he was married when he became your slave, he may take his wife with him.
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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 woman and her children belong to the master, and the man is to leave by himself.
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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 But if the slave declares that he loves his master, his wife, and his children and does not want to be set free,
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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 shall take him to the place of worship. There he is to make him stand against the door or the doorpost and put a hole through his ear. Then he will be his slave for life.
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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 "If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be set free, as male slaves are.
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“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
8 If she is sold to someone who intends to make her his wife, but he doesn't like her, then she is to be sold back to her father; her master cannot sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly.
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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 a man buys a female slave to give to his son, he is to treat her like a daughter.
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If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.
10 If a man takes a second wife, he must continue to give his first wife the same amount of food and clothing and the same rights that she had before.
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If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.
11 If he does not fulfill these duties to her, he must set her free and not receive any payment.
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And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12 "Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death.
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“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
13 But if it was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe.
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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 when someone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is to be put to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.
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But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 "Whoever hits his father or his mother is to be put to death.
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“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 "Whoever kidnaps someone, either to sell him or to keep him as a slave, is to be put to death.
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“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 to be put to death.
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“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
18 "If there is a fight and someone hits someone else with a stone or with his fist, but does not kill him, he is not to be punished. If the one who was hit has to stay in bed, but later is able to get up and walk outside with the help of a cane, the one who hit him is to pay for his lost time and take care of him until he gets well.
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“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,
20 "If a slave owner takes a stick and beats his slave, whether male or female, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner is to be punished.
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“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 does not die for a day or two, the master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough.
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But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.
22 "If some men are fighting and hurt a pregnant woman so that she loses her child, but she is not injured in any other way, the one who hurt her is to be fined whatever amount the woman's husband demands, subject to the approval of the judges.
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“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 But if the woman herself is injured, the punishment shall be life for life,
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But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
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eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
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burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 "If someone hits his male or female slave in the eye and puts it out, he is to free the slave as payment for the eye.
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“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, he is to free the slave as payment for the tooth.
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If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
28 "If a bull gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but its owner is not to be punished.
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“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 But if the bull had been in the habit of attacking people and its owner had been warned, but did not keep it penned up - then if it gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its owner is to be put to death also.
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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 However, if the owner is allowed to pay a fine to save his life, he must pay the full amount required.
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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 bull kills a boy or a girl, the same rule applies.
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If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.
32 If the bull kills a male or female slave, its owner shall pay the owner of the slave thirty pieces of silver, and the bull shall be stoned to death.
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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 "If someone takes the cover off a pit or if he digs one and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
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“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 he must pay for the animal. He is to pay the money to the owner and may keep the dead animal.
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the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 If someone's bull kills someone else's bull, the two of them shall sell the live bull and divide the money; they shall also divide up the meat from the dead animal.
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“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 it was known that the bull had been in the habit of attacking and its owner did not keep it penned up, he must make good the loss by giving the other man a live bull, but he may keep the dead animal.
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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.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025