HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 441
EXODUS 21
page 71
by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days
each week for your ordinary work, 10 but
the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest
dedicated to the Lord your God. On that
day no one in your household may do any
work. This includes you, your sons and
daughters, your male and female servants,
your livestock, and any foreigners living
among you. 11 For in six days the Lord
made the heavens, the earth, the sea,
and everything in them; but on the
seventh day he rested. That is why the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it
apart as holy.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you
will live a long, full life in the land the Lord
your God is giving you.
13 “You must not murder.
14 “You must not commit adultery.
15 “You must not steal.
16 “You must not testify falsely against your
neighbor.
17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house.
You must not covet your neighbor’s wife,
male or female servant, ox or donkey,
or anything else that belongs to your
neighbor.”
18 When the people heard the thunder and the
loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw
the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance,
trembling with fear.
19 And they said to Moses, “You speak to us,
and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
20 “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them,
“for God has come in this way to test you, and
so that your fear of him will keep you from
sinning!”
21 As the people stood in the distance, Moses
approached the dark cloud where God was.
Proper Use of Altars
22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say this to the
people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I
spoke to you from heaven. 23 Remember, you must
not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.
24 “Build for me an altar made of earth, and
offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings
and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and
your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my
name to be remembered, and I will come to you
and bless you. 25 If you use stones to build my
altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not
shape the stones with a tool, for that would
make the altar unfit for holy use. 26 And do not
approach my altar by going up steps. If you do,
someone might look up under your clothing
and see your nakedness.
21:6 Or before the judges. 21:17 Greek version reads Anyone
who speaks disrespectfully of. Compare Matt 15:4; Mark 7:10.
Fair Treatment of Slaves
“These are the regulations you must present to Israel.
2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve
for no more than six years. Set him free in the
seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for
his freedom. 3 If he was single when he became
your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was
married before he became a slave, then his wife
must be freed with him.
4 “If his master gave him a wife while he was
a slave and they had sons or daughters, then
only the man will be free in the seventh year,
but his wife and children will still belong to his
master. 5 But the slave may declare, ‘I love my
master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want
to go free.’ 6 If he does this, his master must present him before God.* Then his master must
take him to the door or doorpost and publicly
pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave
will serve his master for life.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave,
she will not be freed at the end of six years as
the men are. 8 If she does not satisfy her owner,
he must allow her to be bought back again.
But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners,
since he is the one who broke the contract with
her. 9 But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to
marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a
slave but as a daughter.
10 “If a man who has married a slave wife
takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. 11 If he fails in any of
these three obligations, she may leave as a free
woman without making any payment.
21
Cases of Personal Injury
12 “Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. 13 But if it was simply
an accident permitted by God, I will appoint
a place of refuge where the slayer can run for
safety. 14 However, if someone deliberately
kills another person, then the slayer must be
dragged even from my altar and be put to death.
15 “Anyone who strikes father or mother must
be put to death.
16 “Kidnappers must be put to death, whether
they are caught in possession of their victims or
have already sold them as slaves.
17 “Anyone who dishonors* father or mother
must be put to death.
18 “Now suppose two men quarrel, and one
hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured person does not die but is confined to bed.
19 If he is later able to walk outside again, even
with a crutch, the assailant will not be punished
but must compensate his victim for lost wages
and provide for his full recovery.
20 “If a man beats his male or female slave
with a club and the slave dies as a result, the
