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Exodus 21

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1 καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα ἃ παραθήσεις ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν 2 ἐὰν κτήσῃ παῖδα Εβραῖον ἓξ ἔτη δουλεύσει σοι τῷ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει ἀπελεύσεται ἐλεύθερος δωρεάν 3 ἐὰν αὐτὸς μόνος εἰσέλθῃ καὶ μόνος ἐξελεύσεται ἐὰν δὲ γυνὴ συνεισέλθῃ με{T'} αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται καὶ ἡ γυνὴ με{T'} αὐτοῦ 4 ἐὰν δὲ ὁ κύριος δῷ αὐτῷ γυναῖκα καὶ τέκῃ αὐτῷ υἱοὺς ἢ θυγατέρας ἡ γυνὴ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἔσται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς δὲ μόνος ἐξελεύσεται 5 ἐὰν δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἴπῃ ὁ παῖς ἠγάπηκα τὸν κύριόν μου καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία οὐκ ἀποτρέχω ἐλεύθερος 6 προσάξει αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τότε προσάξει αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐπὶ τὸν σταθμόν καὶ τρυπήσει αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος τὸ οὖς τῷ ὀπητίῳ καὶ δουλεύσει αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα 7 ἐὰν δέ τις ἀποδῶται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θυγατέρα οἰκέτιν οὐκ ἀπελεύσεται ὥσπερ ἀποτρέχουσιν αἱ δοῦλαι 8 ἐὰν μὴ εὐαρεστήσῃ τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτῆς ἣν αὑτῷ καθωμολογήσατο ἀπολυτρώσει αὐτήν ἔθνει δὲ ἀλλοτρίῳ οὐ κύριός ἐστιν πωλεῖν αὐτήν ὅτι ἠθέτησεν ἐν αὐτῇ 9 ἐὰν δὲ τῷ υἱῷ καθομολογήσηται αὐτήν κατὰ τὸ δικαίωμα τῶν θυγατέρων ποιήσει αὐτῇ 10 ἐὰν δὲ ἄλλην λάβῃ ἑαυτῷ τὰ δέοντα καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν καὶ τὴν ὁμιλίαν αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποστερήσει 11 ἐὰν δὲ τὰ τρία ταῦτα μὴ ποιήσῃ αὐτῇ ἐξελεύσεται δωρεὰν ἄνευ ἀργυρίου

1 And these laws, he said, thou shalt promulgate to them.[1] 2 If thou dost buy a slave that is a Hebrew by race, he shall do thee six years’ service, and in the seventh year, without any ransom paid, he shall go free. 3 He shall leave thy service in the same guise in which he entered it;[2] if he came to thee married, his wife shall go free with him. 4 But if his master has assigned a wife to him, and she has borne sons and daughters, this woman and her children shall belong to the master; the slave shall go free in the same guise as before. 5 It may be that the slave, for love of his master, and of his own wife and children, will refuse to take his leave; 6 if so, his master shall bring him before the judgement-seat, and then fasten his ear with an auger to door or door-post, in token that the man is his slave in perpetuity.[3] 7 If anyone sells his daughter into a man’s service, she is not to go free on the same conditions as a slave.[4] 8 The master to whom she has been made over may send her away, if he has no liking for her, but he may not sell her to foreign masters; he has done her despite enough already. 9 He may betroth her, if he will, to his son; but if he does that, he must treat her as his daughter; 10 and if he finds his son another wife instead, he must marry the girl off, and give her clothes, and make all amends for the loss of her virginity.[5] 11 If he is not prepared to do these three things, then she must go free, with no ransom paid for her.

1 Hæc sunt judicia quæ propones eis. 2 Si emeris servum hebræum, sex annis serviet tibi: in septimo egredietur liber gratis. 3 Cum quali veste intraverit, cum tali exeat: si habens uxorem, et uxor egredietur simul. 4 Sin autem dominus dederit illi uxorem, et pepererit filios et filias: mulier et liberi ejus erunt domini sui, ipse vero exibit cum vestitu suo. 5 Quod si dixerit servus: Diligo dominum meum et uxorem ac liberos; non egrediar liber: 6 offeret eum dominus diis, et applicabitur ad ostium et postes, perforabitque aurem ejus subula: et erit ei servus in sæculum. 7 Si quis vendiderit filiam suam in famulam, non egredietur sicut ancillæ exire consueverunt. 8 Si displicuerit oculis domini sui cui tradita fuerat, dimittet eam: populo autem alieno vendendi non habebit potestatem, si spreverit eam. 9 Sin autem filio suo desponderit eam, juxta morem filiarum faciet illi. 10 Quod si alteram ei acceperit, providebit puellæ nuptias, et vestimenta, et pretium pudicitiæ non negabit. 11 Si tria ista non fecerit, egredietur gratis absque pecunia.

12 ἐὰν δὲ πατάξῃ τίς τινα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ θανάτῳ θανατούσθω 13 ὁ δὲ οὐχ ἑκών ἀλλὰ ὁ θεὸς παρέδωκεν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ δώσω σοι τόπον οὗ φεύξεται ἐκεῖ ὁ φονεύσας 14 ἐὰν δέ τις ἐπιθῆται τῷ πλησίον ἀποκτεῖναι αὐτὸν δόλῳ καὶ καταφύγῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου μου λήμψῃ αὐτὸν θανατῶσαι 15 ὃς τύπτει πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἢ μητέρα αὐτοῦ θανάτῳ θανατούσθω 16 ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἢ μητέρα αὐτοῦ τελευτήσει θανάτῳ 17 ὃς ἐὰν κλέψῃ τίς τινα τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ καταδυναστεύσας αὐτὸν ἀποδῶται καὶ εὑρεθῇ ἐν αὐτῷ θανάτῳ τελευτάτω

12 Whoever kills a man with intent to kill, must pay for it with his life. 13 But where there was no malice aforethought, and God provides the occasion,[6] he shall be allowed to find refuge in such place as I shall appoint for thee. 14 One who lies in wait on purpose to kill his neighbour shall be torn away even from my altar to die. 15 Death is the penalty for one who kills his father or his mother; 16 death is the penalty when a man is shewn to have carried off his fellow-man and sold him; 17 death is the penalty for one who curses father or mother.

12 Qui percusserit hominem volens occidere, morte moriatur. 13 Qui autem non est insidiatus, sed Deus illum tradidit in manus ejus, constituam tibi locum in quem fugere debeat. 14 Si quis per industriam occiderit proximum suum, et per insidias: ab altari meo evelles eum, ut moriatur. 15 Qui percusserit patrem suum aut matrem, morte moriatur. 16 Qui furatus fuerit hominem, et vendiderit eum, convictus noxæ, morte moriatur. 17 Qui maledixerit patri suo, vel matri, morte moriatur.

18 ἐὰν δὲ λοιδορῶνται δύο ἄνδρες καὶ πατάξῃ τις τὸν πλησίον λίθῳ ἢ πυγμῇ καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ κατακλιθῇ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην 19 ἐὰν ἐξαναστὰς ὁ ἄνθρωπος περιπατήσῃ ἔξω ἐπὶ ῥάβδου ἀθῷος ἔσται ὁ πατάξας πλὴν τῆς ἀργίας αὐτοῦ ἀποτείσει καὶ τὰ ἰατρεῖα 20 ἐὰν δέ τις πατάξῃ τὸν παῖδα αὐτοῦ ἢ τὴν παιδίσκην αὐτοῦ ἐν ῥάβδῳ καὶ ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ δίκῃ ἐκδικηθήτω 21 ἐὰν δὲ διαβιώσῃ ἡμέραν μίαν ἢ δύο οὐκ ἐκδικηθήσεται τὸ γὰρ ἀργύριον αὐτοῦ ἐστιν 22 ἐὰν δὲ μάχωνται δύο ἄνδρες καὶ πατάξωσιν γυναῖκα ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσαν καὶ ἐξέλθῃ τὸ παιδίον αὐτῆς μὴ ἐξεικονισμένον ἐπιζήμιον ζημιωθήσεται καθότι ἂν ἐπιβάλῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς γυναικός δώσει μετὰ ἀξιώματος 23 ἐὰν δὲ ἐξεικονισμένον ἦν δώσει ψυχὴν ἀντὶ ψυχῆς 24 ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος χεῖρα ἀντὶ χειρός πόδα ἀντὶ ποδός 25 κατάκαυμα ἀντὶ κατακαύματος τραῦμα ἀντὶ τραύματος μώλωπα ἀντὶ μώλωπος 26 ἐὰν δέ τις πατάξῃ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τοῦ οἰκέτου αὐτοῦ ἢ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς θεραπαίνης αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκτυφλώσῃ ἐλευθέρους ἐξαποστελεῖ αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ αὐτῶν 27 ἐὰν δὲ τὸν ὀδόντα τοῦ οἰκέτου ἢ τὸν ὀδόντα τῆς θεραπαίνης αὐτοῦ ἐκκόψῃ ἐλευθέρους ἐξαποστελεῖ αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ τοῦ ὀδόντος αὐτῶν

18 Two fall out, and one is struck with a stone, or with the fist, not fatally, but so that he must take to his bed; 19 must the man who struck the blow be held guilty? Only till the other is well enough to get up and walk abroad with a stick; but he must compensate him for his loss of work, and for the doctor’s charges. 20 When a man beats his servant or his handmaid to death, if death follows at once, he must pay the full penalty; 21 but if they survive for a day or more, he shall go unpunished; the loss is his. 22 If men fall out, and one of them strikes a woman who is pregnant, so that the child is still-born, but she herself lives, he must pay whatever sum the woman’s husband demands, and the judges agree to; 23 if her death follows, then life must pay for life.[7] 24 So it is to be; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,[8] a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot; 25 burning for burning, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. 26 If anyone gives servant or handmaid a blow on the eye, so that the sight of it is lost, he must set them free in return for the sight he robbed them of; 27 or if he knocks out a tooth, he must let servant or handmaid go free by the same title.

18 Si rixati fuerint viri, et percusserit alter proximum suum lapide vel pugno, et ille mortuus non fuerit, sed jacuerit in lectulo: 19 si surrexerit, et ambulaverit foris super baculum suum, innocens erit qui percusserit, ita tamen ut operas ejus et impensas in medicos restituat. 20 Qui percusserit servum suum, vel ancillam virga, et mortui fuerint in manibus ejus, criminis reus erit. 21 Sin autem uno die vel duobus supervixerit, non subjacebit pœnæ, quia pecunia illius est. 22 Si rixati fuerint viri, et percusserit quis mulierem prægnantem, et abortivum quidem fecerit, sed ipsa vixerit: subjacebit damno quantum maritus mulieris expetierit, et arbitri judicaverint. 23 Sin autem mors ejus fuerit subsecuta, reddet animam pro anima, 24 oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede, 25 adustionem pro adustione, vulnus pro vulnere, livorem pro livore. 26 Si percusserit quispiam oculum servi sui aut ancillæ, et luscos eos fecerit, dimittet eos liberos pro oculo quem eruit. 27 Dentem quoque si excusserit servo vel ancillæ suæ, similiter dimittet eos liberos.

28 ἐὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται 29 ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται 30 ἐὰν δὲ λύτρα ἐπιβληθῇ αὐτῷ δώσει λύτρα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ὅσα ἐὰν ἐπιβάλωσιν αὐτῷ 31 ἐὰν δὲ υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα κερατίσῃ κατὰ τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦτο ποιήσουσιν αὐτῷ 32 ἐὰν δὲ παῖδα κερατίσῃ ὁ ταῦρος ἢ παιδίσκην ἀργυρίου τριάκοντα δίδραχμα δώσει τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται 33 ἐὰν δέ τις ἀνοίξῃ λάκκον ἢ λατομήσῃ λάκκον καὶ μὴ καλύψῃ αὐτόν καὶ ἐμπέσῃ ἐκεῖ μόσχος ἢ ὄνος 34 ὁ κύριος τοῦ λάκκου ἀποτείσει ἀργύριον δώσει τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτῶν τὸ δὲ τετελευτηκὸς αὐτῷ ἔσται 35 ἐὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ τινὸς ταῦρος τὸν ταῦρον τοῦ πλησίον καὶ τελευτήσῃ ἀποδώσονται τὸν ταῦρον τὸν ζῶντα καὶ διελοῦνται τὸ ἀργύριον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν ταῦρον τὸν τεθνηκότα διελοῦνται 36 ἐὰν δὲ γνωρίζηται ὁ ταῦρος ὅτι κερατιστής ἐστιν πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης ἡμέρας καὶ διαμεμαρτυρημένοι ὦσιν τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν ἀποτείσει ταῦρον ἀντὶ ταύρου ὁ δὲ τετελευτηκὼς αὐτῷ ἔσται

28 If an ox gores a man or woman to death, it shall be stoned, and the flesh of it is not to be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall be held innocent, 29 unless the ox has been using its horns for some time past, and he has refused to shut it away when appeal was made to him. Then, if the ox gores man or woman, it shall be stoned, and he too shall be put to death, 30 unless a fine is imposed on him instead; if so, he shall pay whatever ransom is demanded for his life. 31 The parents shall have the same claim upon him, whether it be a son or daughter of theirs the ox has gored; 32 if it has attacked man-servant or woman-servant, the owner must pay thirty silver pieces, and the ox must be stoned. 33 If a man who has opened an old well, or is digging a new one, does not cover it up, and ox or ass falls into it, 34 the owner of the well shall pay the full value of the beasts; the carcase he may keep for himself. 35 If one man’s ox is wounded by another’s, and dies of it, they shall sell the live ox and share the price of it, dividing the carcase of the dead ox between them; 36 unless it has been known for some time past that the live ox was using its horns, and the owner has not kept it under control. If so, he shall restore ox for ox, and keep the whole carcase for himself.

28 Si bos cornu percusserit virum aut mulierem, et mortui fuerint, lapidibus obruetur: et non comedentur carnes ejus, dominus quoque bovis innocens erit. 29 Quod si bos cornupeta fuerit ab heri et nudiustertius, et contestati sunt dominum ejus, nec recluserit eum, occideritque virum aut mulierem: et bos lapidibus obruetur, et dominum ejus occident. 30 Quod si pretium fuerit ei impositum, dabit pro anima sua quidquid fuerit postulatus. 31 Filium quoque et filiam si cornu percusserit, simili sententiæ subjacebit. 32 Si servum ancillamque invaserit, triginta siclos argenti domino dabit, bos vero lapidibus opprimetur. 33 Si quis aperuerit cisternam, et foderit, et non operuerit eam, cecideritque bos aut asinus in eam, 34 reddet dominus cisternæ pretium jumentorum: quod autem mortuum est, ipsius erit. 35 Si bos alienus bovem alterius vulneraverit, et ille mortuus fuerit: vendent bovem vivum, et divident pretium, cadaver autem mortui inter se dispertient. 36 Sin autem sciebat quod bos cornupeta esset ab heri et nudiustertius, et non custodivit eum dominus suus: reddet bovem pro bove, et cadaver integrum accipiet.

[1] The code of laws which occupies this and the two following chapters was known as the Book of the Covenant.

[2] ‘In the same guise’; the Latin here translates as if it were a question of the slave’s clothing. But the meaning of the Hebrew text is, that if the slave entered service all by himself, he is to leave it all by himself; and so also in verse 4.

[3] ‘Before the judgement-seat’; literally, ‘before the gods’, perhaps meaning ‘before the judges’; cf. Psalms 81.6.

[4] ‘As a slave’; a woman slave, according to the Latin translation, which perhaps means to indicate a distinction between concubines and bond-women. But the Hebrew text, more intelligibly, gives ‘as a man slave’.

[5] The sense of the Hebrew text is rather that if the owner himself takes a new wife, he must provide the concubine with food and clothing, and must still live with her.

[6] ‘Provides the occasion’; literally, ‘delivers him into his hand’. This could mean a chance encounter, followed by a murder in hot blood, which would be classed as manslaughter; cf. I Kg. 26.23. But accidental killing may be meant (cf. Num. 35.22, 23; Deut. 19.4), the accident being represented as a Providential interference.

[7] ‘She herself lives’, ‘if her death follows’; in the Hebrew text, ‘no harm is done’, ‘if harm follows’.

[8] Cf. Mt. 5.38.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd