Exodus 21
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"Now these are the judgments which you shall a set before them:
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b "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.
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"If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
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"If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
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c "But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,'
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"then his master shall bring him to the d judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.
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"And if a man e sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
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"If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
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"And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.
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"If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, f and her marriage rights.
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"And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.
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g "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
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"However, h if he did not lie in wait, but God i delivered him into his hand, then j I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
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"But if a man acts with k premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, l you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.
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"And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
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m "He who kidnaps a man and n sells him, or if he is o found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.
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"And p he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
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"If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,
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"if he rises again and walks about outside q with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed.
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"And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
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"Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his r property.
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"If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall s pay as the judges determine.
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"But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,
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t "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
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"burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
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"If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.
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"And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.
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"If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then u the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.
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"But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
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"If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay v to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.
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"Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.
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"If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master w thirty shekels of silver, and the x ox shall be stoned.
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"And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,
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"the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his.
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"If one man's ox hurts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide.
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"Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.
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Cross References
Exodus 24:3
So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the LORD has said we will do.
Exodus 24:4
And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
Deuteronomy 4:14
And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.
Deuteronomy 6:1
Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess.
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Cross References
Leviticus 25:39 - 43
And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave.
Deuteronomy 15:12 - 18
If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
Jeremiah 34:14
At the end of seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you." But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 15:16
And if it happens that he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you.
Deuteronomy 15:17
Then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.
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Cross References
Exodus 12:12
For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
Exodus 22:8
If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor's goods.
Exodus 22:9
For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.
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Cross References
Nehemiah 5:5
"Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards."
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Cross References
1 Corinthians 7:3
Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
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Cross References
Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
Leviticus 24:17
Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.
Numbers 35:30
Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.
Matthew 26:52
But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 19:4
And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him in time past -
Deuteronomy 19:5
As when a man goes to the woods with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies - he shall flee to one of these cities and live.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 24:4
Then the men of David said to him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.' " And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
1 Samuel 24:10
"Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.'
1 Samuel 24:18
And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
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Cross References
Numbers 35:11
Then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
Deuteronomy 19:3
You shall prepare roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, that any manslayer may flee there.
Joshua 20:2
Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 19:11
But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities.
Deuteronomy 19:12
Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
Hebrews 10:26
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.
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Cross References
1 Kings 2:28 - 34
Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the LORD, and took hold of the horns of the altar.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 24:7
If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall put away the evil from among you.
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Cross References
Genesis 37:28
Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
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Cross References
Exodus 22:4
If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.
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Cross References
Leviticus 20:9
For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.
Proverbs 20:20
Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
Matthew 15:4
"For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother' ; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
Mark 7:10
"For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
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Cross References
2 Samuel 3:29
"Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."
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Cross References
Leviticus 25:44 - 46
And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have - from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.
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Cross References
Exodus 18:21
Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Exodus 18:22
And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.
Exodus 21:30
If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.
Deuteronomy 22:18
Then the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him.
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Cross References
Leviticus 24:20
Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.
Deuteronomy 19:21
Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Matthew 5:38 - 44
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
1 Peter 2:19 - 21
For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
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Cross References
Genesis 9:5
Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man.
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Cross References
Exodus 21:22
If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
Numbers 35:31
Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.
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Cross References
Zechariah 11:12
Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
Zechariah 11:13
And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter" - that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.
Matthew 26:15
And said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 27:3
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
Matthew 27:9
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced.
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Cross References
Exodus 21:28
If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.