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Laws about Repayment

¹ "If someone steals a cow or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay five cows for one cow and four sheep for one sheep. ^2-4 He must pay for what he stole. If he owns nothing, he shall be sold as a slave to pay for what he has stolen. If the stolen animal, whether a cow, a donkey, or a sheep, is found alive in his possession, he shall pay two for one.

"If a thief is caught breaking into a house at night and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if it happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.

⁵ "If someone lets his animals graze in a field or a vineyard and they stray away and eat up the crops^[a] growing in someone else's field, he must make good the loss with the crops from his own fields or vineyards.

⁶ "If someone starts a fire in his own field and it spreads through the weeds to someone else's field and burns up grain that is growing or that has been cut and stacked, the one who started the fire is to pay for the damage.

⁷ "If anyone agrees to keep someone else's money or other valuables for him and they are stolen from his house, the thief, if found, shall repay double. ⁸ But if the thief is not found, the one who was keeping the valuables is to be brought to the place of worship and there he must take an oath that he has not stolen the other one's property.

⁹ "In every case of a dispute about property, whether it involves cattle, donkeys, sheep, clothing, or any other lost object, the two people claiming the property shall be taken to the place of worship. The one whom God declares to be guilty shall pay double to the other one.

¹⁰ "If anyone agrees to keep someone else's donkey, cow, sheep, or other animal for him, and the animal dies or is injured or is carried off in a raid, and if there was no witness, ¹¹ the man must go to the place of worship and take an oath that he has not stolen the other man's animal. If the animal was not stolen, the owner shall accept the loss, and the other man need not repay him; ¹² but if the animal was stolen, the man must repay the owner. ¹³ If it was killed by wild animals, the man is to bring the remains as evidence; he need not pay for what has been killed by wild animals.

¹⁴ "If anyone borrows an animal from someone else and it is injured or dies when its owner is not present, he must pay for it. ¹⁵ But if that happens when the owner is present, he need not repay. If it is a rented animal, the loss is covered by the rental price.

Moral and Religious Laws

^16 (a)"If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her. ¹⁷ But if her father refuses to let him marry her, he must pay the father a sum of money equal to the bride price for a virgin.

^18 (b)"Put to death any woman who practices magic.

^19 (c)"Put to death any man who has sexual relations with an animal.

^20 (d)"Condemn to death anyone who offers sacrifices to any god except to me, the Lord.

^21 (e)"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. ²² Do not mistreat any widow or orphan. ²³ If you do, I, the Lord, will answer them when they cry out to me for help, ²⁴ and I will become angry and kill you in war. Your wives will become widows, and your children will be fatherless.

^25 (f)"If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest. ^26 (g)If you take someone's cloak as a pledge that he will pay you, you must give it back to him before the sun sets, ²⁷ because it is the only covering he has to keep him warm. What else can he sleep in? When he cries out to me for help, I will answer him because I am merciful.

^28 (h)"Do not speak evil of God,^[b] and do not curse a leader of your people.

²⁹ "Give me the offerings from your grain, your wine, and your olive oil when they are due.

"Give me your first-born sons. ³⁰ Give me the first-born of your cattle and your sheep. Let the first-born male stay with its mother for seven days, and on the eighth day offer it to me.

^31 (i)"You are my people, so you must not eat the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals; instead, give it to the dogs.