Exodus 22

¹ “If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck a mortal blow, there is to be no blood-vengeance for him,

² but there shall be blood-vengeance for him if it was after dawn. Full restitution must be made; if he has not the means, he must be sold to pay for what he has stolen.

³ If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, ox or donkey or sheep, he must pay double.

⁴ “When a man puts his animals out to graze in a field or vineyard and lets his beasts graze in another’s field, he must make restitution for the part of the field that has been grazed in proportion to its yield. But if he has let the whole field be grazed, he must make restitution in proportion to the best crop recorded in the injured party’s field or vineyard.

⁵ “When a fire spreads, setting light to thorn bushes and destroying stacked or standing corn or the field itself, the man responsible for the fire must make full restitution.

⁶ “When a man has entrusted money or goods to another’s keeping and these are stolen from his house, the thief, if he can be caught, must repay double.

⁷ Should the thief not be caught; the owner of the house must swear before God that he has not laid hands on the other man’s property.

⁸ “Whenever there is breach of trust in the matter of ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost property for which it is claimed ‘Yes, this is it’, the dispute shall be brought before God. The person whom God pronounces guilty[*a] must pay double to the other.

⁹ “When a man has entrusted to another’s keeping a donkey, ox, sheep, or any beast whatever, and this dies or is injured or carried off, without a witness,

¹⁰ an oath by Yahweh shall decide between the two parties whether one man has laid hands on the other’s property or not. The owner shall take what remains, the other shall not have to make good the loss.

¹¹ But if the animal has been from him, he must make restitution to the owner.

¹² If it has been savaged by wild beasts, he must bring the savaged remains of the animal as evidence, and he shall not be obliged to give compensation.

¹³ “When a man borrows an animal from another, and it is injured or dies in the owner’s absence, the borrower must make full restitution.

¹⁴ But if the owner has been present, the borrower will not have to make good the loss. If the owner has hired it out, he shall settle for the price of its hire.

¹⁵ “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and sleeps with her, he must pay her price[*b] and make her his wife.

¹⁶ If her father absolutely refuses to let him have her, the seducer must pay a sum of money equal to the price fixed for a virgin.

¹⁷ “You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

¹⁸ “Anyone who has intercourse with an animal must die.

¹⁹ “Anyone who sacrifices to other gods shall come under the ban.

²⁰ “You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt.

²¹ You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan;

²² if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry;

²³ my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans.

²⁴ “If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him.

²⁵ “If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset.

²⁶ It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.

²⁷ “You shall not revile God nor curse a ruler of your people.

²⁸ “Do not be slow to make offering from the abundance of your threshing floor and your winepress. You must give me the first-born of your sons;

²⁹ you must do the same with your flocks and herds. The first-born must remain with its mother for seven days; on the eighth day you must give it to me.

³⁰ “You are to be men consecrated to me. You must not eat the flesh of an animal that has been savaged by wild beasts; you must throw it to the dogs.