Exodus 22

22 ¹ Whoever steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, must repay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

Caught in the Act

² If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there is no bloodguilt for it. ¹ 1 v2 A nighttime break-in left no way to tell if the intruder meant harm; killing in self-defense carried no legal guilt. ³ But if it is daytime, there is bloodguilt. The thief must make full restitution; if he has nothing, he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴ If what he stole is found alive in his possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—he must pay back double.

⁵ If anyone lets his livestock graze in a field or vineyard, and lets them loose so that they feed in another man's field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field and vineyard.

⁶ If a fire breaks out and spreads to thornbushes, so that stacked grain or standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire must make full restitution.

⁷ If anyone gives his neighbor silver or goods to keep safe, and they are stolen from the man's house, then if the thief is found, he must pay back double. ⁸ If anyone gives his neighbor silver or goods to keep safe, and they are stolen from the man's house, then if the thief is found, he must pay back double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house must come before our Father to determine whether he has taken his neighbor's property. ⁹ In every case of dishonest dealing—whether ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost thing about which someone says, 'This is mine'—the claim of both parties must come before our Father. The one whom our Father condemns must pay back double to his neighbor.

¹⁰ If anyone gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured or is driven off while no one is watching, ¹¹ an oath before me shall settle the matter between the two of them, that the keeper has not taken his neighbor's property; the owner must accept this, and no restitution is required. ¹² But if the animal was in fact stolen from him, he must make restitution to its owner. ¹³ If it was torn to pieces by a wild beast, he must bring it as evidence; he need not make restitution for what was torn.

¹⁴ If anyone borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution. ¹⁵ If its owner was present, he need not make restitution. If the animal was hired, the loss is covered by the rental fee.

A Young Woman's Honor

¹⁶ If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price and take her as his wife. ² 2 v16 The bride-price was a customary payment made to the bride's father at the time of marriage.

Care for the Vulnerable

¹⁷ If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay silver equal to the bride-price for virgins.

¹⁸ You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

¹⁹ Whoever has sexual relations with an animal must surely be put to death.

²⁰ Whoever sacrifices to any god other than me alone must be completely destroyed.

²¹ You shall not wrong a foreigner or oppress him, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

²² You shall not mistreat any widow or orphan. ²³ If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. ²⁴ My anger will blaze, and I will kill you with the sword; your own wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

²⁵ If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not treat him like a moneylender; you shall charge him no interest. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you must return it to him by sunset, ²⁷ for it is his only covering, the cloak on his back. What will he sleep in? And when he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

²⁸ You shall not speak evil of our Father, nor curse a ruler of your people.

²⁹ You shall not hold back the fullness of your harvest or the outflow of your presses. You shall give me the firstborn of your sons. ³⁰ Do the same with your oxen and your sheep: seven days it shall remain with its mother, and on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

³¹ You shall be holy people to me. You shall not eat the meat of an animal torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.