Exodus 22
22
Property Laws
The Lord said:
1If you steal an ox and slaughter or sell it, you must replace it with five oxen; if you steal a sheep and slaughter it or sell it, you must replace it with four sheep. 2-4But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double.
If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder.
5If you allow any of your animals to stray from your property and graze#22.5 graze: Or “eat everything.” in someone else's field or vineyard, you must repay the damage from the best part of your own harvest of grapes and grain.
6If you carelessly let a fire spread from your property to someone else's, you must pay the owner for any crops or fields destroyed by the fire.
7Suppose a neighbor asks you to keep some silver or other valuables, and they are stolen from your house. If the thief is caught, the thief must repay double. 8But if the thief isn't caught, some judges#22.8 some judges: Or “I.” will decide if you are the guilty one.
9Suppose two people claim to own the same ox or donkey or sheep or piece of clothing. Then the judges#22.9 the judges: Or “I.” must decide the case, and the guilty person will pay the owner double.
10Suppose a neighbor who is going to be away asks you to keep a donkey or an ox or a sheep or some other animal, and it dies or gets injured or is stolen while no one is looking. 11If you swear with me as your witness that you did not harm the animal, you do not have to replace it. Your word is enough. 12But if the animal was stolen while in your care, you must replace it. 13If the animal was attacked and killed by a wild animal, and you can show the remains of the dead animal to its owner, you do not have to replace it.
14Suppose you borrow an animal from a neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while the neighbor isn't around. Then you must replace it. 15But if something happens to the animal while the owner is present, you do not have to replace it. If you had leased the animal, the money you paid the owner will cover any harm done to it.
Laws for Everyday Life
The Lord said:
16 #
Dt 22.28,29. Suppose a young woman has never had sex and isn't engaged. If a man talks her into having sex, he must pay the bride price#22.16 bride price: It was the custom for a man to pay his wife's family a bride price before the actual wedding ceremony took place. and marry her. 17But if her father refuses to let her marry the man, the bride price must still be paid.
18 #
Dt 18.10,11. Death is the punishment for witchcraft.
19 #
Lv 18.23; 20.15,16; Dt 27.14-26. Death is the punishment for having sex with an animal.
20 #
Dt 17.2-7. Death is the punishment for offering sacrifices to any god except me.
21 #
Ex 23.9; Lv 19.33,34; Dt 24.17,18; 27.14-26. Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.
22Do not mistreat widows or orphans. 23If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. 24In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.
25 #
Lv 25.35-38; Dt 15.7-11; 23.19,20. Don't charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need. 26#Dt 24.10-13. Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan, 27because that is the only cover the poor have when they sleep at night. I am a merciful God, and when they call out to me, I will come to help them.
28 #
Ac 23.5. Don't speak evil of me#22.28 me: Or “your judges.” or of the ruler of your people.
29Don't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me.#22.29 Don't fail … me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Dedicate to me your first-born sons 30and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Let the animals stay with their mothers for seven days, then on the eighth day give them to me, your God.
31 #
Lv 17.15. You are my chosen people, so don't eat the meat of any of your livestock that was killed by a wild animal. Instead, feed the meat to dogs.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Exodus 22
22
1“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him. 3If the sun has risen on him, he is guilty of bloodshed. He shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
5“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be eaten by letting his animal loose, and it grazes in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field, and from the best of his own vineyard.
6“If fire breaks out, and catches in thorns so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7“If a man delivers to his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8If the thief isn’t found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to find out whether or not he has put his hand on his neighbour’s goods. 9For every matter of trespass, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, about which one says, ‘This is mine,’ the cause of both parties shall come before God. He whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbour.
10“If a man delivers to his neighbour a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured, or driven away, no man seeing it; 11the oath of the LORD shall be between them both, he has not put his hand on his neighbour’s goods; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution. 12But if it is stolen from him, the one who stole shall make restitution to its owner. 13If it is torn in pieces, let him bring it for evidence. He shall not make good that which was torn.
14“If a man borrows anything of his neighbour’s, and it is injured, or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely make restitution. 15If its owner is with it, he shall not make it good. If it is a leased thing, it came for its lease.
16“If a man entices a virgin who isn’t pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. 17If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
18“You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
19“Whoever has sex with an animal shall surely be put to death.
20“He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed.
21“You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
22“You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. 23If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; 24and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest. 26If you take your neighbour’s garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down, 27for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.
28“You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
29“You shall not delay to offer from your harvest and from the outflow of your presses.
“You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me. 30You shall do likewise with your cattle and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days, then on the eighth day you shall give it to me.
31“You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any meat that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs.
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