Exodus — Chapter 22
If the thief is seized while tunnelingatunneling Under a wall, for housebreaking. and beaten to death, there is no bloodguilt in that case.
If the sun had already risen, there is bloodguilt in that case.—[The thief] must make restitution, and if lacking the means, shall be sold for the theft.
But if what was stolen—whether ox or donkey or sheep—is found alive and in hand, that person shall pay double.
When someone who owns livestock lets it loose to graze in another’s land, and so allows a field or a vineyard to be grazed bare, restitution must be made for the impairmentbimpairment Lit. “excellence.” of that field or vineyard.
When a fire is started and spreads to thorns, so that stacked, standing, or growingcgrowing Lit. “field.” grain is consumed, the one who started the fire must make restitution.
When one person gives money or goods to another for safekeeping, and they are stolen from that person’s house: if caught, the thief shall pay double;
if the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall depose before Goddbefore God See note at 21.6. and deny laying hands on the other’s property.
(In all charges of misappropriation—pertaining to an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other loss, whereof one party alleges, “This is it”—the case of both parties shall come before God: the one whom God declares guilty shall pay double to the other.)
When one person gives to another a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to guard, and it dies or is injured or is carried off, with no witness about,
an oath before GOD shall decide between the two of them that the one has not laid hands on the property of the other; the owner must acquiesce, and no restitution shall be made.
But if [the animal] was stolen from [the guardian], restitution shall be made to its owner.
If it was torn by beasts, [the guardian] shall bring it as evidence—not needing to replace what has been torn by beasts.
When one person borrows [an animal] from another and it dies or is injured, its owner not being with it, restitution must be made.
If its owner was with it, no restitution need be made; but if it was hired, that payment is due.
If a man seduces a virgin for whom the bride-price has not been paid,ethe bride-price has not been paid So that she is unmarried; cf. Deut. 20.7; 22.23ff. and lies with her, he must make her his wife by payment of a bride-price.
If her father refuses to give her to him, he must still weigh out silver in accordance with the bride-price for virgins.
You shall not tolerateftolerate Lit. “let live.” a sorceress.
Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.
Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the ETERNAL, alone, shall be proscribed.gproscribed See Lev. 27.29.
You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
YouhYou Addressing the community’s leaders, or perhaps all householders. shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan.
If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me,
and My anger shall blaze forth and I will put you to the sword, and your own wives shall become widows and your children orphans.
If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.
If you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you must return it before the sun sets;
it is the only available clothing—it is what covers their skin. In what else shall they sleep? Therefore, if [your neighbor] cries out to Me, I will pay heed, for I am compassionate.
You shall not revile God, nor put a curse upon a chieftain among your people.
You shall not put off the skimming of the first yield of your vats.iput off the skimming of the first yield of your vats Meaning of Heb. uncertain. You shall give Me the male first-born among your children.
You shall do the same with your cattle and your flocks: seven days their male first-bornjtheir male first-born Heb. “it.” shall remain with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.
You shall be holy people to Me: you must not eat flesh torn by beasts in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Dhammapada 10:1
“All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”
Luke 6:36
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Snp 1.8
“As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings.”
Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1
“One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred.”
Impermanence & Letting Go
Dhammapada 20:277
“All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
Tao Te Ching 76
“A man is born gentle and weak. At his death he is hard and stiff. The soft and yielding is the disciple of life.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”
Bhagavad Gita 2:22
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”