Exodus 22:8

Easy-to-Read Version

If you don't find the thief, then the owner of the house must go before the judges who will decide if that person is guilty.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If the thief isn't found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to find out if he hasn't put his hand to his neighbor's goods.

King James Version
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

Lexham English Bible
If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will be brought to the sanctuary to learn whether or not he reached out his hand to his neighbor's possession.

New Century Version
But if the thief is never found, the owner of the house must make a promise before God that he has not stolen his neighbor's things.

New English Translation
If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges to see whether he has laid his hand on his neighbor's goods.

Amplified Bible
"If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall appear before the judges [who act in God's name], to determine whether or not he had stolen his neighbor's goods.

New American Standard Bible
"If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges, to determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor's property.

Geneva Bible (1587)
If the thiefe be not founde, then the master of the house shalbe brought vnto the Iudges to sweare, whether he hath put his hande vnto his neighbours good, or no.

Legacy Standard Bible
If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges to determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor's property.

Contemporary English Version
But if the thief isn't caught, some judges will decide if you are the guilty one.

Complete Jewish Bible
In every case of dispute over ownership, whether of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, clothing, or any missing property, where one person says, ‘This is mine,' both parties are to come before God; and the one whom God condemns must pay the other one double.

Darby Translation
if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall be brought before the judges, [to see] if he has not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

English Standard Version
If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property.

George Lamsa Translation
If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he had a hand in the theft of his neighbors goods.

Good News Translation
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.

Christian Standard Bible®
If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must present himself to the judges to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor’s property.

Literal Translation
If the thief is not found, the master of the house shall be brought to God, to see whether or not he put out his hand to his neighbor's goods.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf the thefe be not founde, then shal the good man of the house be brought before the Goddes (and shal sweare) that he hath not put his hande vnto his neghbours good.

American Standard Version
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And if the theefe be not founde, then the good man of ye house shalbe brought vnto the Iudges, that it may be knowen whether he haue put his hande vnto his neyghbours good.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith: 'This is it,' the cause of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbour.

King James Version (1611)
If the thiefe be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought vnto the Iudges, to see whether he haue put his hande vnto his neighbours goods.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall come forward before God, and shall swear that surely he has not wrought wickedly in regard of any part of his neighbour’s deposit,

English Revised Version
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

Berean Standard Bible
If the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has taken his neighbor's property.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If the theef is hid, the lord of the hows schal be brouyt to goddis, `that is, iugis, and he schal swere, that he helde not forth the hond in to `the thing of his neiybore,

Young's Literal Translation
`If the thief is not found, then the master of the house hath been brought near unto God, whether he hath not put forth his hand against the work of his neighbour;

Update Bible Version
If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall come near to the gods, [to see] whether he has not put his hand to his neighbor's goods.

Webster's Bible Translation
If the thief shall not be found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges, [to see] whether he hath put his hand to his neighbor's goods.

World English Bible
If the thief isn't found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to find out if he hasn't put his hand to his neighbor's goods.

New King James Version
If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor's goods.

New Living Translation
But if the thief is not caught, the neighbor must appear before God, who will determine if he stole the property.

New Life Bible
If the robber is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought to the judges. They will see if he stole what belongs to his neighbor.

New Revised Standard
If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall be brought before God, to determine whether or not the owner had laid hands on the neighbor's goods.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
if the thief be found, he shall give in restitution double, if the thief be not found, then shall the owner of the house be brought near unto God to swear that he hath not laid his hand on the property of his neighbour.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If the thief be not known, the master of the house shall be brought to the gods, and shall swear that he did not lay his hand upon his neighbour’s goods,

Revised Standard Version
If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God, to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's goods.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges, to determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor's property.

Contextual Overview

⁷ "Someone might give some money or tools to a neighbor for safekeeping. What should you do if someone steals those things from the neighbor's house? If you find the one who stole them, then that thief must pay twice as much as the things are worth. ⁸ If you don't find the thief, then the owner of the house must go before the judges who will decide if that person is guilty. ⁹ "What should you do if two men disagree about a bull or a donkey or sheep or clothing or something that is lost? One man says, ‘This is mine,' and the other says, ‘No, it is mine.' Both men should go before the judges who will decide who is guilty. The one who was wrong must pay the other man twice as much as the thing is worth. ¹⁰ "A man might ask his neighbor to take care of an animal for a short time. It might be a donkey, a bull, or a sheep. But what should you do if that animal is hurt or dies or someone takes the animal while no one is looking? ¹¹ That neighbor must explain that he did not steal the animal. If this is true, the neighbor will promise to the Lord that he did not steal it. The owner of the animal must accept this promise. The neighbor does not have to pay the owner for the animal. ¹² But if the neighbor stole the animal, then he must pay the owner for the animal. ¹³ If wild animals killed the animal, then the neighbor should bring the body as proof. The neighbor will not have to pay the owner for the animal that was killed. ¹⁴ "If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and the animal is hurt or dies, then the neighbor must pay the owner for the animal. The neighbor is responsible, because the owner was not there himself. ¹⁵ But if the owner was there, then the neighbor does not have to pay. Or if the neighbor was paying money to use the animal for work, he will not have to pay if the animal dies or is hurt. The money he paid to use the animal will be enough payment.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the judges: Exodus 22:28, *marg. Exodus 21:6, Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 19:17, Deuteronomy 19:18, 1 Chronicles 23:4, Psalms 82:1

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:11 - that he hath not 1 Kings 8:31 - an oath be laid upon him

Cross-References

Genesis 18:14
But is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son."

Genesis 22:19
Then Abraham went back to his servants. They all traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.

Genesis 22:20
After all these things happened, a message was sent to Abraham. It said, "Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have children now.

2 Chronicles 25:9
Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what about the money I already paid to the Israelite army?" The man of God answered, "The Lord has plenty. He can give you much more than that."

Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, "This is something that people cannot do. But God can do anything."

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world!

John 1:36
He saw Jesus walking by and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

Revelation 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center near the throne with the four living beings around it. The elders were also around the Lamb. The Lamb looked as if it had been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that were sent into all the world.

Revelation 5:12
The angels said in a loud voice, "All power, wealth, wisdom, and strength belong to the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive honor, glory, and praise!"

Revelation 7:14
I answered, "You know who they are, sir." And the elder said, "These are the ones who have come out of the great suffering. They have washed their robes with the blood of the Lamb, and they are clean and white.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If the thief be not found,.... And so no account can be given of the goods deposited, what is become of them, and it becomes a doubtful case whether they have been stolen or embezzled, and there is suspicion of the latter:

then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges: here called Elohim, gods, because they were God's vicegerents, and represented him, and acted under his power and authority; and who at this present were Moses, and those that judged the people under him, and afterwards the seventy elders, and all such who in succeeding times were judges in Israel, and bore the office of civil magistrates; before these the master of the house, or the person who had any goods committed to his care, and they were lost, was to be brought and put to his oath, and upon it examined, in order to find out what was become of the goods committed to him: to see whether he has put his hand to his neighbour's goods: took them to himself, made use of them, or disposed of them to his own advantage, and which was no other than a kind of theft.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It would appear that if the master of the house would clear himself of imputation, the loss of the pledged article fell upon its owner.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 22:8. Unto the judges — Exodus 21:6; Exodus 21:6.