Property Laws
The Lord said:
1 If 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. 2-4 But 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.
5 If you allow any of your animals to stray from your property and graze in someone else's field or vineyard, you must repay the damage from the best part of your own harvest of grapes and grain.
6 If 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.
7 Suppose 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. 8 But if the thief isn't caught, some judges will decide if you are the guilty one.
9 Suppose two people claim to own the same ox or donkey or sheep or piece of clothing. Then the judges must decide the case, and the guilty person will pay the owner double.
10 Suppose 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. 11 If 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. 12 But if the animal was stolen while in your care, you must replace it. 13 If 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.
14 Suppose you borrow an animal from a neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while the neighbor isn't around. Then you must replace it. 15 But 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 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 and marry her. 17 But if her father refuses to let her marry the man, the bride price must still be paid.
18 Death is the punishment for witchcraft.
19 Death is the punishment for having sex with an animal.
20 Death is the punishment for offering sacrifices to any god except me.
21 Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.
22 Do not mistreat widows or orphans. 23 If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. 24 In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.
25 Don't charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need. 26 Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan, 27 because 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 Don't speak evil of me or of the ruler of your people.
29 Don't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me.
Dedicate to me your first-born sons 30 and 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 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.
1 If a man steale an oxe or a sheepe, and kill it or sell it, he shall restore fiue oxen for the oxe, and foure sheepe for the sheepe. 2 If a thiefe bee founde breaking vp, and be smitten that he dye, no blood shall be shed for him. 3 But if it be in the day light, blood shall be shed for him: for he should make full restitution: if he had not wherewith, then shoulde he bee solde for his theft. 4 If the theft bee founde with him, aliue, (whether it be oxe, asse, or sheepe) he shall restore the double. 5 If a man doe hurt fielde, or vineyarde, and put in his beast to feed in an other mans fielde, he shall recompence of the best of his owne fielde, and of the best of his owne vineyard. 6 If fire breake out, and catche in ye thornes, and the stackes of corne, or the standing corne, or the fielde be consumed, he that kindled the fire shall make full restitution. 7 If a man deliuer his neighbour money or stuffe to keepe, and it be stollen out of his house, if the thiefe be found, he shall pay the double. 8 If the thiefe be not founde, then the master of the house shalbe brought vnto the Iudges to sweare, whether he hath put his hande vnto his neighbours good, or no. 9 In all maner of trespasse, whether it bee for oxen, for asse, for sheepe, for raiment, or for any maner of lost thing, which an other chalengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the iudges, and whom the Iudges condemne, he shall pay the double vnto his neighbour. 10 If a man deliuer vnto his neighbour to keepe asse, or oxe, or sheepe, or any beast, and it die, or be hurt, or taken away by enemies, and no man see it, 11 An othe of the Lord shalbe betweene the twaine, that hee hath not put his hande vnto his neighbours good, and the owner of it shall take the othe, and he shall not make it good: 12 But if it be stollen from him, he shall make restitution vnto the owner thereof. 13 If it be torne in pieces, he shall bring recorde, and shall not make that good, which is deuoured. 14 And if a man borow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or els die, the owner thereof not being by, he shall surely make it good. 15 If the owner thereof bee by, hee shall not make it good: for if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire. 16 And if a man entise a maide that is not betrothed, and lie with her, hee shall endowe her, and take her to his wife. 17 If her father refuse to giue her to him, hee shall pay money, according to ye dowry of virgins. 18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue. 19 Whosoeuer lieth with a beast, shall dye the death. 20 Hee that offereth vnto any gods, saue vnto the Lord onely, shalbe slaine. 21 Moreouer, thou shalt not do iniurie to a stranger, neither oppresse him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 Ye shall not trouble any widowe, nor fatherlesse childe. 23 If thou vexe or trouble such, and so he call and cry vnto me, I will surely heare his cry. 24 Then shall my wrath be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wiues shall be widowes, and your children fatherlesse. 25 If thou lende money to my people, that is, to the poore with thee, thou shalt not bee as an vsurer vnto him: yee shall not oppresse him with vsurie. 26 If thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge, thou shalt restore it vnto him before the sunne go downe: 27 For that is his couering only, and this is his garment for his skin: wherin shall he sleepe? therefore when he crieth vnto mee, I will heare him: for I am mercifull. 28 Thou shalt not raile vpon the Iudges, neither speake euil of the ruler of thy people. 29 Thine abundance and thy licour shalt thou not keepe backe. The first borne of thy sonnes shalt thou giue me. 30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheepe: seuen dayes it shall bee with his damme, and the eight day thou shalt giue it me. 31 Ye shall be an holy people vnto me, neither shall ye eate any flesh that is torne of beastes in the fielde: ye shall cast it to the dogge.