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21 "Tani këto janë ligjet që do t’u vësh para tyre:

Në rast se blen një skllav hebre, ai do të të shërbejë gjashtë vjet; por vitin e shtatë do të shkojë i lirë, pa paguar asgjë.

Në rast se ka ardhur vetëm, do të shkojë vetëm; po të kishte grua, e shoqja do të shkojë bashkë me të.

Në qoftë se zotëria e tij i jep grua dhe kjo i lind bij e bija, gruaja dhe fëmijët e saj do të jenë të zotërisë, dhe ai do të shkojë vetëm.

Por në qoftë se skllavi thotë haptazi: "Unë e dua zotërinë time, gruan time dhe fëmijët e mi, dhe nuk dua të shkoj i lirë,"

atëherë pronari e tij do t’ia afrojë Perëndisë dhe do ta avitë te dera ose te shtalka; pastaj pronari e tij do t’i shpojë veshin me një fëndyell; dhe ai do t’i shërbejë për gjithnjë.

Në rast se dikush shet bijën e tij si shërbëtore, ajo nuk do të shkojë ashtu si shkojnë skllevërit.

Në qoftë se ajo nuk i pëlqen zotërisë së saj, që e kishte marrë për vete, ai do ta lërë të shpengohet; por nuk do të ketë të drejtën tua shesë njerëzve të huaj, sepse kjo do t’ishte ta trajtosh me mashtrim.

Dhe në qoftë se e marton me birin e tij, do ta trajtojë në bazë të së drejtës të të bijave.

10 Në rast se merr një grua tjetër, ai nuk do të pakësojë ushqimin dhe veshmbathjen e saj, as edhe bashkëbanimin e saj.

11 Në rast se nuk bën këto tri gjëra për të, ajo do të shkojë pa dhënë asgjë, pa paguar çmim.

12 Kush rreh një njeri dhe për këtë shkak ky vdes, do të dënohet me vdekje.

13 Në qoftë se nuk i ka ngritur kurrfarë prite, por Perëndia ka bërë që t’i bjerë në dorë, unë do të caktoj një vend ku ai mund të gjejë strehë.

14 Në qoftë se ndokush vepron me paramendim kundër të afërmit të tij për ta vrarë me mashtrim, ti do ta shkëputësh edhe nga altari im, për të siguruar vdekjen e tij.

15 Kush rreh atin ose nënën e tij do të dënohet me vdekje.

16 Kush rrëmben një njeri dhe e shet, ose gjendet në duart e tij, do të dënohet me vdekje.

17 Kush mallkon të atin ose të ëmën do të dënohet me vdekje.

18 Në qoftë se dy njerëz zihen dhe njëri prej tyre godet tjetrin me gur ose me grusht dhe ky nuk vdes, por duhet të qëndrojë në shtrat,

19 dhe në se pastaj ngrihet dhe ecën jashtë duke u mbështetur me bastun, ai që e ka goditur do të nxirret i pafajshëm; do ta zhdëmtojë vetëm për kohën e humbur dhe do ta kurojë deri në shërim të plotë.

20 Në qoftë se dikush rreh skllavin ose skllaven e tij me bastun, dhe ai ose ajo i vdesin në dorë, zotëria do të dënohet;

21 por në rast se mbijeton një ose dy ditë, nuk do të dënohet, sepse është pronë e tij.

22 Në rast se disa grinden dhe rrahin një grua me barrë aq sa ajo të dështojë, por nuk pëson dëme të tjera, rrahësi do të gjobitet aq sa t’i kërkojë bashkëshorti i gruas; ai do të paguajë zhdëmtimin simbas përcaktimit të gjykatësve;

23 por po të jetë se rrjedh ndonjë dëm, do të japësh jetë për jetë,

24 sy për sy, dhëmb për dhëmb, dorë për dorë, këmbë për këmbë,

25 djegie për djegie, plagë për plagë, mbretje për mbretje.

26 Në rast se dikush godet syrin e skllavit ose të skllaves së tij dhe ai humbet, do t’i lërë të shkojnë të lirë si kompensim për syrin e humbur.

27 Dhe në rast se shkakton rënien e një dhëmbi skllavit ose skllaves së tij, do t’i lërë të shkojnë të lirë si kompensim për dhëmbin e humbur.

28 Në rast se një ka godet për vdekje me brirët e tij një burrë ose një grua, kau duhet të vritet me gurë dhe mishi i tij nuk do të hahet; por i zoti i kaut do të konsiderohet i pafajshëm.

29 Por në qoftë se kau e kishte zakon prej kohësh të plagoste me brirët e tij dhe i zoti ishte paralajmëruar, por nuk e kishte mbajtur të mbyllur, dhe kau pastaj vret një burrë o një grua, kau do të vritet me gurë dhe i zoti gjithashtu do të vritet.

30 Në qoftë se i caktohet një çmim për shpengim, ai duhet të japë për të shpenguar jetën e tij aq sa i kanë caktuar.

31 Në qoftë se kau godet një bir ose një bijë, do të veprohet ndaj tij sipas po këtij ligji.

32 Në qoftë se kau godet një skllav ose një skllave, i zoti i kaut do t’i paguajë të zotit të skllavit tridhjetë sikla argjendi dhe kau do të vritet me gurë.

33 Në qoftë se dikush hap një gropë, ose dikush gërmon një gropë dhe nuk e mbulon, dhe një ka ose një gomar bien brenda,

34 pronari i gropës do ta paguajë zhdëmtimin; ai do t’i paguajë me para pronarit vleftën e kafshës dhe kafsha e ngordhur do të jetë e tij.

35 Në qoftë se kau i një njeriu godet për vdekje kaun e një tjetri, do të shitet kau i gjallë dhe do të ndahet çmimi i tij; edhe kau i ngordhur do të ndahet midis tyre.

36 Por në qoftë se dihet se ky ka e kishte zakon prej kohe të godiste me brirët, dhe i zoti nuk e ka mbajtur të mbyllur, ky do të paguajë ka për ka dhe kafsha e ngordhur do të jetë e tij".

21 “These are the laws(A) you are to set before them:

Hebrew Servants(B)(C)

“If you buy a Hebrew servant,(D) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,(E) without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’(F) then his master must take him before the judges.[a](G) He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce(H) his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.(I)

“If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself,[b] he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.(J) 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

Personal Injuries

12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.(K) 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place(L) I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately,(M) that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.(N)

15 “Anyone who attacks[c] their father or mother is to be put to death.

16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death,(O) whether the victim has been sold(P) or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.

17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.(Q)

18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist[d] and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.

20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.(R)

22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely[e] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands(S) and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,(T) 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,(U) hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

28 “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,(V) and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up(W) and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.(X) 31 This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels[f](Y) of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

33 “If anyone uncovers a pit(Z) or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.

35 “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up,(AA) the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:6 Or before God
  2. Exodus 21:8 Or master so that he does not choose her
  3. Exodus 21:15 Or kills
  4. Exodus 21:18 Or with a tool
  5. Exodus 21:22 Or she has a miscarriage
  6. Exodus 21:32 That is, about 12 ounces or about 345 grams

21 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

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

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.

27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;

34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.