Exodus 21; Exodus 22; Matthew 19

Exodus 21

1 "These are the ordinances that you must set before them:

2 "When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything.

3 If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with a wife, his wife is to leave with him.

4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.

5 "But if the slave declares: 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,'

6 his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to leave as the male slaves do.

8 If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her.

9 Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters.

10 If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.

11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any exchange of money.

12 "Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.

13 But if he didn't intend any harm, and yet God caused it to happen by his hand, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.

14 If a person willfully acts against his neighbor to murder him by scheming, you must take him from My altar to be put to death.

15 "Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.

16 "Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.

17 "Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.

18 "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed,

19 if he can [later] get up and walk around outside [leaning] on his staff, then the one who struck [him] will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time and provide for [his] complete recovery.

20 "When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, the owner must be punished.

21 However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his [owner's] property.

22 "When men get in a fight, and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born [prematurely], but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.

23 If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,

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

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

26 "When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.

27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.

28 "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox's owner is innocent.

29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

30 If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

31 If it gores a son or a daughter, he is to be dealt with according to this same law.

32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, he must give 30 shekels of silver to the slave's master, and the ox must be stoned.

33 "When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

34 the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay money to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.

35 "When a man's ox injures his neighbor's ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.

36 If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

Exodus 22

1 "When a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep.

2 If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed.

3 But if this happens after sunrise, there is guilt of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft.

4 If what was stolen-whether ox, donkey, or sheep-is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double.

5 "When a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed in, and then allows his animals to go and graze in someone else's field, he must repay with the best of his own field or vineyard.

6 "When a fire gets out of control, spreads to thornbushes, and consumes stacks of cut grain, standing grain, or a field, the one who started the fire must make full restitution for what was burned.

7 "When a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keep, but they are stolen from that person's house, the thief, if caught, must repay double.

8 If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must present himself to the judges to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor's property.

9 In any case of wrongdoing involving an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or anything [else] lost, and someone claims: That's mine, the case between the two parties is to come before the judges. The one the judges condemn must repay double to his neighbor.

10 "When a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any [other] animal to care for, but it dies, is injured, or is stolen, while no one is watching,

11 there must be an oath before the Lord between the two of them to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor's property. Its owner must accept [the oath], and the other man does not have to make restitution.

12 But if, in fact, the animal was stolen from his custody, he must make restitution to its owner.

13 If it was actually torn apart [by a wild animal], he is to bring it as evidence; he does not have to make restitution for the torn carcass.

14 "When a man borrows [an animal] from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not there with it, the man must make full restitution.

15 If its owner is there with it, the man does not have to make restitution. If it was rented, the loss is covered by its rental price.

16 "When a man seduces a virgin who was not promised in marriage, and he has sexual relations with her, he must certainly pay the bridal price for her to be his wife.

17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must pay an amount in silver equal to the bridal price for virgins.

18 "You must not allow a sorceress to live.

19 "Whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death.

20 "Whoever sacrifices to any gods, except the Lord alone, is to be set apart for destruction.

21 "You must not exploit a foreign resident or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22 "You must not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

23 If you do mistreat them, they will no doubt cry to Me, and I will certainly hear their cry.

24 My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.

25 "If you lend money to My people-to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.

26 "If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset.

27 For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will listen because I am compassionate.

28 "You must not blaspheme God or curse a leader among your people.

29 "You must not hold back [offerings from] your harvest or your vats. Give Me the firstborn of your sons.

30 Do the same with your cattle and your flock. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day you are to give them to Me.

31 "Be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal [found] in the field; throw it to the dogs.

Matthew 19

1 When Jesus had finished this instruction, He departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea across the Jordan.

2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?"

4 "Haven't you read," He replied, "that He who created them in the beginning made them male and female ,

5 and He also said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh ?

6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate."

7 "Why then," they asked Him, "did Moses command [us] to give divorce papers and to send her away?"

8 He told them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning.

9 And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."

10 His disciples said to Him, "If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it's better not to marry!"

11 But He told them, "Not everyone can accept this saying, but only those it has been given to.

12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

13 Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them.

14 Then Jesus said, "Leave the children alone, and don't try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this."

15 After putting His hands on them, He went on from there.

16 Just then someone came up and asked Him, "Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?"

17 "Why do you ask Me about what is good?" He said to him. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

18 "Which ones?" he asked Him. Jesus answered, Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;

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

20 "I have kept all these," the young man told Him. "What do I still lack?"

21 "If you want to be perfect," Jesus said to him, "go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."

22 When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!

24 Again I tell you, 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 the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, "Then who can be saved?"

26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

27 Then Peter responded to Him, "Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?"

28 Jesus said to them, "I assure you: In the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.

30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.