The Treatment of Slaves
(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)1 “Give the Israelites the following laws: 2 If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay anything. 3 If he was unmarried when he became your slave, he is not to take a wife with him when he leaves; but if he was married when he became your slave, he may take his wife with him. 4 If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the woman and her children belong to the master, and the man is to leave by himself. 5 But if the slave declares that he loves his master, his wife, and his children and does not want to be set free, 6 then his master shall take him to the place of worship. There he is to make him stand against the door or the doorpost and put a hole through his ear. Then he will be his slave for life.
7 “If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be set free, as male slaves are. 8 If she is sold to someone who intends to make her his wife, but he doesn't like her, then she is to be sold back to her father; her master cannot sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly. 9 If a man buys a female slave to give to his son, he is to treat her like a daughter. 10 If a man takes a second wife, he must continue to give his first wife the same amount of food and clothing and the same rights that she had before. 11 If he does not fulfill these duties to her, he must set her free and not receive any payment.
Laws about Violent Acts
12 “Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death. 13 But if it was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe. 14 But when someone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is to be put to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.
15 “Whoever hits his father or his mother is to be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps someone, either to sell him or to keep him as a slave, is to be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.
18-19 “If there is a fight and someone hits someone else with a stone or with his fist, but does not kill him, he is not to be punished. If the one who was hit has to stay in bed, but later is able to get up and walk outside with the help of a cane, the one who hit him is to pay for his lost time and take care of him until he gets well.
20 “If a slave owner takes a stick and beats his slave, whether male or female, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner is to be punished. 21 But if the slave does not die for a day or two, the master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough.
22 “If some men are fighting and hurt a pregnant woman so that she loses her child, but she is not injured in any other way, the one who hurt her is to be fined whatever amount the woman's husband demands, subject to the approval of the judges. 23 But if the woman herself is injured, the punishment shall be life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26 “If someone hits his male or female slave in the eye and puts it out, he is to free the slave as payment for the eye. 27 If he knocks out a tooth, he is to free the slave as payment for the tooth.
The Responsibility of Owners
28 “If a bull gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but its owner is not to be punished. 29 But if the bull had been in the habit of attacking people and its owner had been warned, but did not keep it penned up—then if it gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its owner is to be put to death also. 30 However, if the owner is allowed to pay a fine to save his life, he must pay the full amount required. 31 If the bull kills a boy or a girl, the same rule applies. 32 If the bull kills a male or female slave, its owner shall pay the owner of the slave thirty pieces of silver, and the bull shall be stoned to death.
33 “If someone takes the cover off a pit or if he digs one and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34 he must pay for the animal. He is to pay the money to the owner and may keep the dead animal. 35 If someone's bull kills someone else's bull, the two of them shall sell the live bull and divide the money; they shall also divide up the meat from the dead animal. 36 But if it was known that the bull had been in the habit of attacking and its owner did not keep it penned up, he must make good the loss by giving the other man a live bull, but he may keep the dead animal.
1 Now these are the lawes, which thou shalt set before them: 2 If thou bye an Ebrewe seruant, he shall serue sixe yeres, and in the seuenth he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he came himselfe alone, he shall goe out himselfe alone: if hee were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master haue giuen him a wife, and she hath borne him sonnes or daughters, he wife and her children shalbe her masters, but he shall goe out himselfe alone. 5 But if the seruant saye thus, I loue my master, my wife and my children, I will not goe out free, 6 Then his master shall bring him vnto the Iudges, and set him to the dore, or to the poste, and his master shall bore his eare through with a nawle, and he shall serue him for euer. 7 Likewise if a man sell his daughter to be a seruant, she shall not goe out as the men seruantes doe. 8 If shee please not her master, who hath betrothed her to him selfe, then shall hee cause to buy her: hee shall haue no power to sell her to a strange people, seeing he despised her. 9 But if he hath betrothed her vnto his sonne, he shall deale with her according to the custome of the daughters. 10 If he take him another wife, he shall not diminish her foode, her rayment, and recompence of her virginitie. 11 And if he do not these three vnto her, the shall she go out free, paying no money. 12 He that smiteth a man, and he die, shall dye the death. 13 And if a man hath not layed wayte, but God hath offered him into his hande, then I wil appoynt thee a place whither he shall flee. 14 But 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 Also hee that smiteth his father or his mother, shall die the death. 16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, if it be founde with him, shall die the death. 17 And hee that curseth his father or his mother, shall die the death. 18 When men also striue together, and one smite another with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but lieth in bed, 19 If hee rise againe and walke without vpon his staffe, then shall he that smote him go quite, saue onely hee shall beare his charges for his resting, and shall pay for his healing. 20 And if a man smite his seruant, or his maide with a rod, and he die vnder his hande, he shalbe surely punished. 21 But if he continue a day, or two dayes, hee shall not be punished: for he is his money. 22 Also if men striue and hurt a woman with childe, so that her childe depart from her, and death follow not, hee shall bee surely punished according as the womans husband shall appoynt him, or he shall pay as the Iudges determine. 23 But if death follow, then thou shalt paye life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hande for hand, foote for foote, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wounde, stripe for stripe. 26 And if a man smite his seruant in the eie, or his maide in the eye, and hath perished it, hee shall let him goe free for his eye. 27 Also if he smite out his seruants tooth, or his maides tooth, he shall let him goe out free for his tooth. 28 If an oxe gore a man or a woman, that he die, the oxe shalbe stoned to death, and his flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the oxe shall goe quite. 29 If the oxe were wont to push in times past, and it hath bene tolde his master, and hee hath not kept him, and after he killeth a man or a woman, the oxe shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also. 30 If there be set to him a summe of mony, then he shall pay the raunsome of his life, whatsoeuer shalbe laied vpon him. 31 Whether he hath gored a sonne or gored a daughter, he shalbe iudged after the same maner. 32 If the oxe gore a seruant or a mayde, hee shall giue vnto their master thirtie shekels of siluer, and the oxe shalbe stoned. 33 And when a man shall open a well, or when he shall dig a pit and couer it not, and an oxe or an asse fall therein, 34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and giue money to the owners thereof, but the dead beast shalbe his. 35 And if a mans oxe hurt his neighbours oxe that he die, then they shall sel the liue oxe, and deuide the money thereof, and the dead oxe also they shall deuide. 36 Or if it bee knowen that the oxe hath vsed to push in times past, and his master hath not kept him, he shall pay oxe for oxe, but the dead shall be his owne.