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

2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4If 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.

5And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6Then 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.

7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

8If 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.

9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

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

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

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

13And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

19If 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.

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

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

22If 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.

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

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

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

26And 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.

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

28If 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.

29But 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.

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

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

32If 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.

33And 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;

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

35And 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.

36Or 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.

1 Now these are the Iudgements which thou shalt set before them.

2If thou buy an Hebrew seruant, sixe yeeres he shall serue, and in the seuenth he shall goe out free for nothing.

3If he came in by himselfe, he shal goe out by himselfe: if he were married, then his wife shall goe out with him.

4If his master haue giuen him a wife, and she haue borne him sonnes or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her masters, and he shall go out by himselfe.

5And if the seruant shall plainely say, I loue my master, my wife, and my children, I will not goe out free:

6Then his master shall bring him vnto the Iudges, hee shall also bring him to the doore, or vnto the doore post, and his master shall boare his eare through with an aule, and he shall serue him for euer.

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a mayd seruant, shee shall not goe out as the men seruants doe.

8If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himselfe, then shall he let her be redeemed: To sell her vnto a strange nation hee shall haue no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

9And if he haue betrothed her vnto his sonne, he shall deale with her after the maner of daughters.

10If he take him another wife, her food, her rayment, and her duety of mariage shall he not diminish.

11And if he doe not these three vnto her, then shall she goe out free without money.

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

13And if a man lye not in wait, but God deliuer him into his hand, then I will appoint thee a place whither hee shall flee:

14But if a man come presumptuously vpon 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 bee 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 hee that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely bee put to death.

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

19If hee rise againe, and walke abroad vpon his staffe, then shall hee that smote him, be quit: onely he shall pay for the losse of his time, and shall cause him to be throughly healed.

20 And if a man smite his seruant, or his mayd, with a rod, and hee die vnder his hand, hee shall bee surely punished:

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

22 If men striue, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischiefe follow, he shalbe surely punished, according as the womans husband will lay vpon him, and hee shall pay as the Iudges determine.

23And if any mischiefe follow, then thou shalt giue life for life,

24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote,

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

26 And if a man smite the eye of his seruant, or the eye of his mayd, that it perish, hee shall let him goe free for his eyes sake.

27And if he smite out his man seruants tooth, or his mayde seruants tooth, hee shal let him goe free for his tooths sake.

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

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

30If there be layed on him a summe of money, then he shall giue for the ransome of his life, whatsoeuer is layd vpon him.

31Whether hee haue gored a sonne, or haue gored a daughter, according to this iudgement shall it bee done vnto him.

32If the oxe shall push a man seruant, or a mayd seruant, hee shall giue vnto their master thirty shekels, and the oxe shalbe stoned.

33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall digge a pit, and not couer it, and an oxe or an asse fall therein:

34The owner of the pit shall make it good, and giue money vnto the owner of them, and the dead beast shalbe his.

35 And if one mans oxe hurt anothers, that he die, then they shall sell the liue oxe, and diuide the money of it, and the dead oxe also they shall diuide.

36Or if it bee knowen that the oxe hath vsed to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in, hee shall surely pay oxe for oxe, and the dead shall be his owne.

I == Ex 24:3-4 ; Deut 4:14 ; 6:1

II == Lev 25:39-41 ; Deut 15:12 ; Jer 34:14 ; John 8:35

V == Deut 15:16-17

VI == Ex 12:12 ; 22:8 , 28 ; Ps 40:6

VII == Ex 21:2-3 ; Neh 5:5

X == 1st Cor 7:5

XII == Gen 9:6 ; Lev 24:17 ; Num 35:30-31 ; Matt 5:21 ; 26:52

XIII == Num 35:11 , 22 ; Deut 19:3-5 ; Josh 20:2 ; 1st Sam 24:4 . 10 , 18

XIV == Num 15:30 ; 35:20 ; Deut 19:11-12 ; 1st Kings 2:28-34 ; 2nd Kings 11:15 ; Heb 10:26

XVI == Gen 37:28 ; Ex 22:4 ; Deut 24:7

XVII == Lev 20:9 ; Prov 20:20 ; Matt 15:4 ; Mark 7:10

XIX == 2nd Sam 3:29

XX == Gen 4:15 , 24 ; Rom 13:4

XXI == Lev 25:45-46

XXII == Ex 21:30 ; Deut 22:18-19

XXIV == Lev 24:20 ; Deut 19:21 ; Matt 5:38

XXVIII ==Gen 9:5

XXX == Ex 21:22 ; Num 35:31

XXXII == Ex 21:28 ; Zech 11:12-13 ; Matt 26:15 ; Phil 2:7

1 "These are the rules you shall lay before them.

2 When you purchase a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall be given his freedom without cost.

3 If he comes into service alone, he shall leave alone; if he comes with a wife, his wife shall leave with him.

4 But if his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall remain the master's property and the man shall leave alone.

5 If, however, the slave declares, 'I am devoted to my master and my wife and children; I will not go free,'

6 his master shall bring him to God and there, at the door or doorpost, he shall pierce his ear with an awl, thus keeping him as his slave forever.

7 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.

8 But if her master, who had destined her for himself, dislikes her, he shall let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreigner, since he has broken faith with her.

9 If he destines her for his son, he shall treat her like a daughter.

10 If he takes another wife, he shall not withhold her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.

11 If he does not grant her these three things, she shall be given her freedom absolutely, without cost to her.

12 "Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death.

13 He, however, who did not hunt a man down, but caused his death by an act of God, may flee to a place which I will set apart for this purpose.

14 But when a man kills another after maliciously scheming to do so, you must take him even from my altar and put him to death.

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

16 "A kidnaper, whether he sells his victim or still has him when caught, shall be put to death.

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

18 "When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, not mortally, but enough to put him in bed,

19 the one who struck the blow shall be acquitted, provided the other can get up and walk around with the help of his staff. Still, he must compensate him for his enforced idleness and provide for his complete cure.

20 "When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.

21 If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.

22 "When men have a fight and hurt a pregnant woman, so that she suffers a miscarriage, but no further injury, the guilty one shall be fined as much as the woman's husband demands of him, and he shall pay in the presence of the judges.

23 But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life,

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

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

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

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

28 "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned; its flesh may not be eaten. The owner of the ox, however, shall go unpunished.

29 But if an ox was previously in the habit of goring people and its owner, though warned, would not keep it in; should it then kill a man or a woman, not only must the ox be stoned, but its owner also must be put to death.

30 If, however, a fine is imposed on him, he must pay in ransom for his life whatever amount is imposed on him.

31 This law applies if it is a boy or a girl that the ox gores.

32 But if it is a male or a female slave that it gores, he must pay the owner of the slave thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.

33 "When a man uncovers or digs a cistern and does not cover it over again, should an ox or an ass fall into it,

34 the owner of the cistern must make good by restoring the value of the animal to its owner; the dead animal, however, he may keep.

35 "When one man's ox hurts another's ox so badly that it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide this money as well as the dead animal equally between them.

36 But if it was known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner would not keep it in, he must make full restitution, an ox for an ox; but the dead animal he may keep.

37 "When a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for the one ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.

The laws in these chapters may be grouped as follows:
1. Laws Concerning Worship Ex. 20:23-26
Discussed briefly at close of last chapter.
2. Laws Concerning Masters and Servants Ex. 21:1-11
A Hebrew servant could go free after six years, in keeping with the seventh year rest of the land, but had the choice of remaining if he had a wife and children who could not go free. This practice of boring a hole in the ear to show perpetual servitude is alluded to in Ps. 40:6. The Lord Jesus Christ expresses the will to be the perpetual slave of the Father in serving Him. The slave was then enrolled in a book, and in Ps. 40:7 Christ mentions being written in a book. Of course David was writing concerning himself, but in so doing he writes of Christ.
Protection is also given to a slave betrothed into the family, that if she does not receive equal food, raiment, and duty of marriage as another wife, she shall go free. 

3. Laws Concerning Injuries to Persons EX. 21:12-32
Capitol offenses included murder, kidnapping and smiting or cursing father or mother. Cities of refuge would be provided for unintentional homicide, verse 13, but no one deserving death would escape being killed, verse 14.
Generally speaking, an offender should suffer an injury equal to that which he had inflicted, verse 23-25. Except for murder, the punishment was usually a fine.
A beast that killed a man should be destroyed, v 28. If the owner knew it to be dangerous but did not confine it, he would also be killed.

4. Rights of Property Ex. 21:33==22:15
Verses 33,34 regulate the situation where a man has left a pit open and an animal falls in.
Verses 35,36 tell how to handle a situation where one man’s ox harms another’s. Most of those regulations are self explanatory without comment.

5. Miscellaneous Laws Ex. 22:16==23:19.