Study Desk

“Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.

“When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed,

if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time and provide for his complete recovery.

“When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse, the owner must be punished.

However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished because he is his owner’s property.

“When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.

If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.

If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.

“When a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal.

If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

But if this happens after sunrise, the householder is guilty of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft.

If what was stolen—whether ox, donkey, or sheep—is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double.

“When a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed in, and then allows his animals to go and graze in someone else’s field, he must repay with the best of his own field or vineyard.

“When a man gives his neighbor valuables or goods to keep, but they are stolen from that person’s house, the thief, if caught, must repay double.

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.

In any case of wrongdoing involving an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or anything else lost, and someone claims, ‘That’s mine,’ the case between the two parties is to come before the judges. The one the judges condemn must repay double to his neighbor.

“When a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to care for, but it dies, is injured, or is stolen, while no one is watching,

there must be an oath before the Lord between the two of them to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor’s property. Its owner must accept the oath, and the other man does not have to make restitution.

But if, in fact, the animal was stolen from his custody, he must make restitution to its owner.