Exodus 21

21 ¹"Now na dis be di rules wey you go put for dem front:

²"When you buy Hebrew servant, e go serve you for six years; for di seventh year e go go free, e no go pay anytin.

³"If na him one come, na him one go comot; but if e get wife, im wife go comot with am. ⁴If im master give am wife and she born am sons or daughters, di wife and di children go belong to her master, and di man go comot him one. ⁵But if di servant talk am clear-clear say, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I no go go free,' ⁶den im master go bring am come before our Papa, den to di door or di doorpost, and e go pierce im ear with awl; e go serve am for im whole life. ^a a v6 Dem pierce di servant im ear for di doorpost as permanent mark wey people fit see, to show say na him own free choice to belong to im master house for im whole life.

⁷"When man sell im daughter make she be servant, she no go go free di way di male servants dey go free. ⁸If she no please her master wey choose am for imself, e must let dem redeem am. E no fit sell am give strange people, since e don break faith with am. ⁹If e choose am for im son, e must treat am as im own daughter. ¹⁰If e marry anoda wife, e no must reduce her food, her cloth, or her right as wife. ¹¹If e no provide dis three tins, she go go free, without paying any money.

Life For Life

¹²"Anybody wey hit man make e die, dem must kill am. ¹³But if e no plan am wait for am, and I let am happen, I go appoint place for you where e fit run go. ¹⁴But if man plan against im neighbour to kill am by trick, carry am comot from my altar make e die.

¹⁵"Anybody wey hit im father or im mother, dem must kill am.

¹⁶"Anybody wey kidnap man and sell am, or dem catch am while e still hold am, dem must kill am.

¹⁷"Anybody wey curse im father or im mother, dem must kill am.

¹⁸"When men quarrel and one hit di oda one with stone or fist, and di man no die but e lie down for bed, ¹⁹den if e stand up and waka outside with im stick, di one wey hit am no go get punishment; e go only pay for di time wey e lose and make sure say e recover well-well.

²⁰"When man hit im male or female servant with stick and di servant die, dem must revenge am. ²¹But if di servant survive one day or two, dem no go take vengeance, because di servant na im property.

²²"When men dey fight and dem hit woman wey get belle so dat her pikin born, but no oda harm happen, di one wey do di wrong must pay fine wey di woman im husband demand, and pay as di judges decide. ²³But if oda harm happen, den you go give life for life, ²⁴eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ^b b v24 Dis law put limit for revenge — no pass di injury wey dem do. Later, Jesus change am, e teach im followers make dem no revenge but make dem overcome bad tin with love (Matthew 5:38-39). ²⁵burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

²⁶"If man hit di eye of im male or female servant and spoil am, e must free di servant to pay back for di eye. ²⁷If e knock out im male or female servant im tooth, e must let dem go free to pay back for di tooth.

²⁸"If cow gore man or woman make e die, dem must stone di cow and dem no go chop im meat, but di owner no go carry blame. ²⁹But if di cow don dey gore before and dem don warn di owner but e no lock am up, and e kill man or woman, dem go stone di cow and dem go kill di owner too. ³⁰If dem require ransom, e must pay whatever dem demand to save im life. ³¹Whether e gore son or daughter, na dis same rule apply. ³²If di cow gore male or female servant, di owner go pay dem master about twelve ounce of silver, and dem go stone di cow.

³³"If man open or dig pit and leave am open, and cow or donkey fall inside, ³⁴di owner of di pit must settle am, e go pay di owner money, and di dead animal go be im own.

³⁵"When one man im cow injure anoda man own so e die, dem go sell di live cow, share di money, and share di dead animal too. ³⁶But if dem know say di cow don dey gore before and im owner no keep am well, e must pay back cow for cow, and di dead animal go be im own."