The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Kapitel 21 -

(Deuteronomy 15:12–18)

Now these are the lawes, which thou shalt set before them:

If thou bye an Ebrewe seruant, he shall serue sixe yeres, and in the seuenth he shall go out free, for nothing.

If he came himselfe alone, he shall goe out himselfe alone: if hee were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

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.

But if the seruant saye thus, I loue my master, my wife and my children, I will not goe out free,

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.

Likewise if a man sell his daughter to be a seruant, she shall not goe out as the men seruantes doe.

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.

But if he hath betrothed her vnto his sonne, he shall deale with her according to the custome of the daughters.

If he take him another wife, he shall not diminish her foode, her rayment, and recompence of her virginitie.

And if he do not these three vnto her, the shall she go out free, paying no money.

Personal Injury Laws

He that smiteth a man, and he die, shall dye the death.

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.

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.

Also hee that smiteth his father or his mother, shall die the death.

And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, if it be founde with him, shall die the death.

And hee that curseth his father or his mother, shall die the death.

When men also striue together, and one smite another with a stone, or with the fist, and he die not, but lieth in bed,

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.

And if a man smite his seruant, or his maide with a rod, and he die vnder his hande, he shalbe surely punished.

But if he continue a day, or two dayes, hee shall not be punished: for he is his money.

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.

But if death follow, then thou shalt paye life for life,

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hande for hand, foote for foote,

Burning for burning, wound for wounde, stripe for stripe.

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.

Also if he smite out his seruants tooth, or his maides tooth, he shall let him goe out free for his tooth.

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.

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.

If there be set to him a summe of mony, then he shall pay the raunsome of his life, whatsoeuer shalbe laied vpon him.

Whether he hath gored a sonne or gored a daughter, he shalbe iudged after the same maner.

If the oxe gore a seruant or a mayde, hee shall giue vnto their master thirtie shekels of siluer, and the oxe shalbe stoned.

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,

The owner of the pit shall make it good, and giue money to the owners thereof, but the dead beast shalbe his.

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.

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.

(Deuteronomy 15:12–18)

“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them:

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

But 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 to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.

“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

If she doesn’t please her master, who has married 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.

If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

Personal Injury Laws

“One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

“Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

“If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed;

if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.

“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished.

Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property.

“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.

But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,

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

burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

“If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let the servant go free for his tooth’s sake.

“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.

If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed.

Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels

(a)

of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

“If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn’t cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

“If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.

Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.

Fußnoten

(a)21:32 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 30 shekels is about 300 grams or about 10.6 ounces.