The Treatment of Servants

211 Now these are the laws which you are to put before them. 2 If you get a Hebrew servant for money, he is to be your servant for six years, and in the seventh year you are to let him go free without payment. 3 If he comes to you by himself, let him go away by himself: if he is married, let his wife go away with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife, and he gets sons or daughters by her, the wife and her children will be the property of the master, and the servant is to go away by himself. 5 But if the servant says clearly, My master and my wife and children are dear to me; I have no desire to be free: 6 Then his master is to take him to the gods of the house, and at the door, or at its framework, he is to make a hole in his ear with a sharp-pointed instrument; and he will be his servant for ever. 7 And if a man gives his daughter for a price to be a servant, she is not to go away free as the men-servants do. 8 If she is not pleasing to her master who has taken her for himself, let a payment be made for her so that she may go free; her master has no power to get a price for her and send her to a strange land, because he has been false to her. 9 And if he gives her to his son, he is to do everything for her as if she was his daughter. 10 And if he takes another woman, her food and clothing and her married rights are not to be less. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she has the right to go free without payment.

Laws concerning Acts of Violence

12 He who gives a man a death-blow is himself to be put to death. 13 But if he had no evil purpose against him, and God gave him into his hand, I will give you a place to which he may go in flight. 14 But if a man makes an attack on his neighbour on purpose, to put him to death by deceit, you are to take him from my altar and put him to death. 15 Any man who gives a blow to his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death. 16 Any man who gets another into his power in order to get a price for him is to be put to death, if you take him in the act. 17 Any man cursing his father or his mother is to be put to death. 18 If, in a fight, one man gives another a blow with a stone, or with the shut hand, not causing his death, but making him keep in bed; 19 If he is able to get up again and go about with a stick, the other will be let off; only he will have to give him payment for the loss of his time, and see that he is cared for till he is well. 20 If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant blows with a rod, causing death, he is certainly to undergo punishment. 21 But, at the same time, if the servant goes on living for a day or two, the master is not to get punishment, for the servant is his property.

22 If men, while fighting, do damage to a woman with child, causing the loss of the child, but no other evil comes to her, the man will have to make payment up to the amount fixed by her husband, in agreement with the decision of the judges. 23 But if damage comes to her, let life be given in payment for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, blow for blow.

Laws concerning Responsibility of Owners

26 If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant a blow in the eye, causing its destruction, he is to let him go free on account of the damage to his eye. 27 Or if the loss of a tooth is caused by his blow, he will let him go free on account of his tooth. 28 If an ox comes to be the cause of death to a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned, and its flesh may not be used for food; but the owner will not be judged responsible. 29 But if the ox has frequently done such damage in the past, and the owner has had word of it and has not kept it under control, so that it has been the cause of the death of a man or woman, not only is the ox to be stoned, but its owner is to be put to death. 30 If a price is put on his life, let him make payment of whatever price is fixed. 31 If the death of a son or of a daughter has been caused, the punishment is to be in agreement with this rule. 32 If the death of a man-servant or of a woman-servant is caused by the ox, the owner is to give their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox is to be stoned. 33 If a man makes a hole in the earth without covering it up, and an ox or an ass dropping into it comes to its death; 34 The owner of the hole is responsible; he will have to make payment to their owner, but the dead beast will be his. 35 And if one man's ox does damage to another man's ox, causing its death, then the living ox is to be exchanged for money, and division made of the price of it, and of the price of the dead one. 36 But if it is common knowledge that the ox has frequently done such damage in the past, and its owner has not kept it under control, he will have to give ox for ox; and the dead beast will be his.

Laws concerning Restitution

221 If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made. 2 If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood. 3 But if it is after dawn, he will be responsible. 4 If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value. 5 If a man makes a fire in a field or a vine-garden, and lets the fire do damage to another man's field, he is to give of the best produce of his field or his vine-garden to make up for it. 6 If there is a fire and the flames get to the thorns at the edge of the field, causing destruction of the cut grain or of the living grain, or of the field, he who made the fire will have to make up for the damage.

7 If a man puts money or goods in the care of his neighbour to keep for him, and it is taken from the man's house, if they get the thief, he will have to make payment of twice the value. 8 If they do not get the thief, let the master of the house come before the judges and take an oath that he has not put his hand on his neighbour's goods. 9 In any question about an ox or an ass or a sheep or clothing, or about the loss of any property which anyone says is his, let the two sides put their cause before God; and he who is judged to be in the wrong is to make payment to his neighbour of twice the value. 10 If a man puts an ass or an ox or a sheep or any beast into the keeping of his neighbour, and it comes to death or is damaged or is taken away, without any person seeing it: 11 If he takes his oath before the Lord that he has not put his hand to his neighbour's goods, the owner is to take his word for it and he will not have to make payment for it. 12 But if it is taken from him by a thief, he is to make up for the loss of it to its owner. 13 But if it has been damaged by a beast, and he is able to make this clear, he will not have to make payment for what was damaged. 14 If a man gets from his neighbour the use of one of his beasts, and it is damaged or put to death when the owner is not with it, he will certainly have to make payment for the loss. 15 If the owner is with it, he will not have to make payment: if he gave money for the use of it, the loss is covered by the payment.

Laws of Human Relations

16 If a man takes a virgin, who has not given her word to another man, and has connection with her, he will have to give a bride-price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father will not give her to him on any account, he will have to give the regular payment for virgins. 18 Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death. 19 Any man who has sex connection with a beast is to be put to death. 20 Complete destruction will come on any man who makes offerings to any other god but the Lord. 21 Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt. 22 Do no wrong to a widow, or to a child whose father is dead. 23 If you are cruel to them in any way, and their cry comes up to me, I will certainly give ear; 24 And in the heat of my wrath I will put you to death with the sword, so that your wives will be widows and your children without fathers.

25 If you let any of the poor among my people have the use of your money, do not be a hard creditor to him, and do not take interest. 26 If ever you take your neighbour's clothing in exchange for the use of your money, let him have it back before the sun goes down: 27 For it is the only thing he has for covering his skin; what is he to go to sleep in? and when his cry comes up to me, I will give ear, for my mercy is great. 28 You may not say evil of the judges, or put a curse on the ruler of your people. 29 Do not keep back your offerings from the wealth of your grain and your vines. The first of your sons you are to give to me. 30 In the same way with your oxen and your sheep: for seven days let the young one be with its mother; on the eighth day give it to me. 31 You are to be holy men to me: the flesh of no animal whose death has been caused by the beasts of the field may be used for your food; it is to be given to the dogs.

Jesus' Teaching on Divorce

191 And it came about that after saying these words, Jesus went away from Galilee, and came into the parts of Judaea on the other side of Jordan. 2 And a great number went after him; and he made them well there.

3 And certain Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, Is it right for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he said in answer, Have you not seen in the Writings, that he who made them at the first made them male and female, and said, 5 For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and the two will become one flesh? 6 So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Then let not that which has been joined by God be parted by man. 7 They say to him, Why then did Moses give orders that a husband might give her a statement in writing and be free from her? 8 He says to them, Moses, because of your hard hearts, let you put away your wives: but it has not been so from the first. 9 And I say to you, Whoever puts away his wife for any other cause than the loss of her virtue, and takes another, is a false husband: and he who takes her as his wife when she is put away, is no true husband to her. 10 The disciples say to him, If this is the position of a man in relation to his wife, it is better not to be married. 11 But he said to them, Not all men are able to take in this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are men who, from birth, were without sex: and there are some who were made so by men: and there are others who have made themselves so for the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to take it, let him take it.

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13 Then some people took little children to him, so that he might put his hands on them in blessing: and the disciples said sharp words to them. 14 But Jesus said, Let the little ones come to me, and do not keep them away: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he put his hands on them, and went away.

The Rich Young Ruler

16 And one came to him and said, Master, what good thing have I to do, so that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said to him, Why are you questioning me about what is good? One there is who is good: but if you have a desire to go into life, keep the rules of the law. 18 He says to him, Which? And Jesus said, Do not put anyone to death, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not take what is not yours, Do not give false witness, 19 Give honour to your father and your mother: and, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. 20 The young man says to him, All these things have I done: what more is there? 21 Jesus said to him, If you have a desire to be complete, go, get money for your property, and give it to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven: and come after me. 22 But hearing these words the young man went away sorrowing: for he had much property.

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I say to you, It is hard for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, It is simpler for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of God. 25 And the disciples, hearing this, were greatly surprised, saying, Who then may have salvation? 26 And Jesus, looking at them, said, With men this is not possible; but with God all things are possible. 27 Then Peter said to him, See, we have given up everything and have come after you; what then will we have? 28 And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that in the time when all things are made new, and the Son of man is seated in his glory, you who have come after me will be seated on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or child, or land, for my name, will be given a hundred times as much, and have eternal life. 30 But a great number who are first will be last, and some who are last will be first.