The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "If someone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he is to pay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
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If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made.
2 "If a thief caught in the act of breaking in is beaten to death, it is not murder;
2
If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood.
3 unless it happens after sunrise, in which case it is murder. A thief must make restitution; so if he has nothing, he himself is to be sold to make good the loss from the theft.
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But if it is after dawn, he will be responsible.
4 If what he stole is found alive in his possession, he is to pay double, no matter whether it is an ox, a donkey or a sheep.
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If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value.
5 "If a person causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his animal loose to graze in someone else's field, he is to make restitution from the best produce of his own field and vineyard.
5
If a man makes a fire in a field or a vine-garden, and lets the fire do damage to another man's field, he is to give of the best produce of his field or his vine-garden to make up for it.
6 "If a fire is started and spreads to thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain or a field is destroyed, the person who lit it must make restitution.
6
If there is a fire and the flames get to the thorns at the edge of the field, causing destruction of the cut grain or of the living grain, or of the field, he who made the fire will have to make up for the damage.
7 "If a person entrusts a neighbor with money or goods, and they are stolen from the trustee's house, then, if the thief is found, he must pay double.
7
If a man puts money or goods in the care of his neighbour to keep for him, and it is taken from the man's house, if they get the thief, he will have to make payment of twice the value.
8 But if the thief is not found, then the trustee must state before God that he did not take the person's goods himself.
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If they do not get the thief, let the master of the house come before the judges and take an oath that he has not put his hand on his neighbour's goods.
9 In every case of dispute over ownership, whether of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, clothing, or any missing property, where one person says, 'This is mine,' both parties are to come before God; and the one whom God condemns must pay the other one double.
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In any question about an ox or an ass or a sheep or clothing, or about the loss of any property which anyone says is his, let the two sides put their cause before God; and he who is judged to be in the wrong is to make payment to his neighbour of twice the value.
10 "If a person trusts a neighbor to look after a donkey, ox, sheep or any animal, and it dies, is injured or is driven away unseen,
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If a man puts an ass or an ox or a sheep or any beast into the keeping of his neighbour, and it comes to death or is damaged or is taken away, without any person seeing it:
11 then the neighbor's oath before ADONAI that he has not taken the goods will settle the matter between them -the owner is to accept it without the neighbor's making restitution.
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If he takes his oath before the Lord that he has not put his hand to his neighbour's goods, the owner is to take his word for it and he will not have to make payment for it.
12 But if it was stolen from the neighbor, he must make restitution to the owner.
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But if it is taken from him by a thief, he is to make up for the loss of it to its owner.
13 If it was torn to pieces by an animal, the neighbor must bring it as evidence, and then he doesn't need to make good the loss.
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But if it has been damaged by a beast, and he is able to make this clear, he will not have to make payment for what was damaged.
14 "If someone borrows something from his neighbor, and it gets injured or dies with the owner not present, he must make restitution.
14
If a man gets from his neighbour the use of one of his beasts, and it is damaged or put to death when the owner is not with it, he will certainly have to make payment for the loss.
15 If the owner was present, he need not make good the loss. If the owner hired it out, the loss is covered by the hiring fee.
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If the owner is with it, he will not have to make payment: if he gave money for the use of it, the loss is covered by the payment.
16 "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price for her to be his wife.
16
If a man takes a virgin, who has not given her word to another man, and has connection with her, he will have to give a bride-price for her to be his wife.
17 But if her father refuses to give her to him, he must pay a sum equivalent to the bride-price for virgins.
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If her father will not give her to him on any account, he will have to give the regular payment for virgins.
18 "You are not to permit a sorceress to live.
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Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death.
19 "Whoever has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death.
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Any man who has sex connection with a beast is to be put to death.
20 "Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than ADONAI alone is to be completely destroyed.
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Complete destruction will come on any man who makes offerings to any other god but the Lord.
21 "You must neither wrong nor oppress a foreigner living among you, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
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Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt.
22 "You are not to abuse any widow or orphan.
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Do no wrong to a widow, or to a child whose father is dead.
23 If you do abuse them in any way, and they cry to me, I will certainly heed their cry.
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If you are cruel to them in any way, and their cry comes up to me, I will certainly give ear;
24 My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword - your own wives will be widows and your own children fatherless.
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And in the heat of my wrath I will put you to death with the sword, so that your wives will be widows and your children without fathers.
25 "If you loan money to one of my people who is poor, you are not to deal with him as would a creditor; and you are not to charge him interest.
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If you let any of the poor among my people have the use of your money, do not be a hard creditor to him, and do not take interest.
26 If you take your neighbor's coat as collateral, you are to restore it to him by sundown,
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If ever you take your neighbour's clothing in exchange for the use of your money, let him have it back before the sun goes down:
27 because it is his only garment - he needs it to wrap his body; what else does he have in which to sleep? Moreover, if he cries out to me, I will listen; because I am compassionate.
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For it is the only thing he has for covering his skin; what is he to go to sleep in? and when his cry comes up to me, I will give ear, for my mercy is great.
28 "You are not to curse God, and you are not to curse a leader of your people.
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You may not say evil of the judges, or put a curse on the ruler of your people.
29 "You are not to delay offering from your harvest of grain, olive oil or wine. "The firstborn of your sons you are to give to me.
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Do not keep back your offerings from the wealth of your grain and your vines. The first of your sons you are to give to me.
30 You are to do the same with your oxen and your sheep - it is to stay with its mother seven days, and on the eighth day you are to give it to me.
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In the same way with your oxen and your sheep: for seven days let the young one be with its mother; on the eighth day give it to me.
31 "You are to be my specially separated people. Therefore you are not to eat any flesh torn by wild animals in the countryside; rather, throw it out for the dogs.
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You are to be holy men to me: the flesh of no animal whose death has been caused by the beasts of the field may be used for your food; it is to be given to the dogs.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.