Exodus Chapter 22

Protection of Property

¹ “If someone steals a cow or sheep, slaughters it or sells it, he has to pay five cows for one cow and four sheep for one sheep. ^3bIf he doesn’t have anything, sell the thief for the theft. ⁴ If what was stolen is found alive in the thief’s possession—cow, donkey, or sheep—the thief will pay double.

² If a thief gets caught breaking in at night and is struck and dies, the slayer won’t be held guilty of murder.  ^3aIf the theft happens during the day, the slayer will be guilty of murder. 

⁵ “If you overgraze a field or vineyard and let an animal loose that grazes in someone else’s field, you’ll pay compensation from the best of your own field and vineyard.

⁶ “If your fire gets away from you and spreads to someone else’s thorn bushes, stacked grain, standing grain, or field, you’ll pay for damages.      Ex 22:1-6

⁷ “If you give someone money or goods for safekeeping, and it’s stolen from that person’s house, if caught, the thief will pay double. ⁸ If no thief is caught, the judges will investigate to see if the other person took it.

⁹ “For any breach of trust—for ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or anything else a person owns—both parties will go to the judges. The one the judges find guilty will pay double to the other.

¹⁰ “If you give someone a donkey, cow, sheep, or other animal for safekeeping and it dies, gets hurt, or wanders off unnoticed, ¹¹ the two of you will swear in Yahveh’s presence that neither has taken it. You’ll accept the judges’ verdict, no compensation required. ¹² But if it was stolen, the thief will pay its owner for it. ¹³ If wild animals got it, the remains are evidence, no compensation required.   

Ex 22:7-13

¹⁴ “If you borrow something that gets injured or dies while its owner’s absent, you’ll make full restitution. ¹⁵ If its owner’s present, you won’t make compensation. If you rented it, it came for the rent.

Laws About Social Justice

¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin that’s not engaged and lies with her, he has to pay a dowry for her to be his wife. ¹⁷ If her father refuses to give her to him, he’ll still pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.

¹⁸ “Don’t let a sorceress live.

¹⁹ “Execute whoever has sexual relations with an animal.

²⁰ “Execute whoever sacrifices to any god but Yahveh.

²¹ “Don’t wrong or mistreat a foreigner; you were foreigners in Egypt.      

Ex 22:14-21

²² “Don’t abuse a widow or orphan in any way. ²³ If you do and the person cries out to me, ²⁴ my anger will flare. I’ll kill you with the sword and make your^sg wives widows and your children orphans.

²⁵ “If you lend money to the poor among my people, don’t charge interest. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, give it back before sundown. ²⁷ That may be the only covering your neighbor has to sleep in. When your neighbor cries out to me, I’ll listen, because I’m gracious.

²⁸ “Don’t curse God or a ruler of your people.                                                       ²⁹ “Don’t put off giving your offerings from your crops or vintage.

“Give me your firstborn sons. ³⁰ Do the same thing with your cattle and sheep. After it’s with its mother for a week, give it to me on the eighth day.

³¹ “You’ll be holy people to me. So don’t eat any animal that’s torn to pieces in the pasture by wild animals. Feed it to the dogs.

Ex 22:22-31