Knox Bible

1

The man who steals ox or sheep and slaughters or sells it, must make restitution at the rate of five oxen for one, and four sheep for one.

2

When a thief is caught breaking into a house, or digging under the walls of it, the man who deals him a fatal wound is not guilty of murder, unless the deed was done after sun-rise.

3

If the sun be risen, there is murder done, and life must pay for life.✻

The thief who has no money to make restitution with, must himself be sold as a slave.

4

If something stolen, ox or ass or sheep, is found alive in the possession of the thief, he shall make restitution twofold.

5

If anyone damages field or vineyard by letting some beast of his feed on another man’s property, he must make good the estimated loss out of the best crop in his own field or vineyard.

6

If a fire breaks out and catches among thorn-bushes, setting light to heaps of grain or to corn standing in the fields, the man who lit the fire must make good the loss.

7

Where money or goods entrusted to a friend’s keeping have been stolen, the thief, if he is found, must make twofold restitution.

8

If he cannot be found, the owner of the house where they lay in keeping shall be brought before the judgement-seat.✻ He must swear that he laid no hands on his neighbour’s property with malicious intent.

9

Be there a loss of ox or ass or sheep or clothing or any other kind of property, the two parties shall come before the judgement-seat, and the defendant, if he is found guilty, shall make twofold restitution.

10

If a man entrusts his neighbour with ass or ox or sheep or any other beast for safe keeping, and it is killed or wounded or carried off by enemies, with no witness to the fact,

11

the matter shall be settled by an oath, which the owner shall accept, that the other did not lay hands on his property; there is no restitution to be made.

12

But where the loss is due to theft, the owner shall be compensated.

13

If it has been killed by a wild beast, the carcase must be brought before the owner, and no amends made.

14

Where a man has borrowed any such beast of his neighbour, and it is maimed or killed in the owner’s absence, compensation must be made to him;

15

but not if the owner himself was present, and especially if hire was being paid for the work the beast did.

16

One who seduces a virgin not yet betrothed, and beds with her, must give her a dowry and marry her,

17

unless the father will not give her in marriage; then amends must be made, equivalent to the dowry which a virgin customarily receives.

18

Sorcerers✻ must not be allowed to live.

19

The man who is guilty of bestiality must pay for it with his life.

20

Sacrifice is for the Lord alone; he who offers it to other gods must be put to death.

21

There must be no harrying or oppression of the aliens that dwell among you; time was when you too dwelt as aliens in the land of Egypt.

22

You must not wrong the widow and the orphan;

23

wronged, they will cry out to me for redress, and their cry will be heard.

24

My anger will blaze out against you, and I will smite you with the sword, making widows of your own wives, orphans of your own children.

25

If thou dost lend money to some poorer neighbour among my people, thou shalt not drive him hard as extortioners do, or burden him with usury.

26

If thou takest thy neighbour’s garment for a pledge, thou shalt give it back to him by set of sun;

27

it is all he has to cover himself with, his body’s protection, all he has to sleep under. He has but to cry for redress, and I, the ever merciful, will listen to him.

28

Thou shalt not revile the powers above thee, or speak ill of him who rules thy people.✻

29

There must be no delay in paying tithes and first-fruits. Thou shalt make me an offering of the first son that is born to thee,

30

and with thy oxen and sheep thou shalt do the like; for seven days the dam may keep her first-born, after that it must be offered to me.

31

You are to be men marked out for my service. Meat that has once been tasted by wild beasts shall not be used for food; it must be thrown to the dogs.