Lois relatives à la liberté et à la vie
V. 1-11: cf. (De 15:12-18. Jé 34:8-17.) De 21:10-14.1 Voici les lois que tu leur présenteras. 2 Si tu achètes un esclave hébreu, il servira six années; mais la septième, il sortira libre, sans rien payer. 3 S’il est entré seul, il sortira seul; s’il avait une femme, sa femme sortira avec lui. 4 Si c’est son maître qui lui a donné une femme, et qu’il en ait eu des fils ou des filles, la femme et ses enfants seront à son maître, et il sortira seul. 5 Si l’esclave dit: J’aime mon maître, ma femme et mes enfants, je ne veux pas sortir libre, 6 alors son maître le conduira devant Dieu, et le fera approcher de la porte ou du poteau, et son maître lui percera l’oreille avec un poinçon, et l’esclave sera pour toujours à son service. 7 Si un homme vend sa fille pour être esclave, elle ne sortira point comme sortent les esclaves. 8 Si elle déplaît à son maître, qui s’était proposé de la prendre pour femme, il facilitera son rachat; mais il n’aura pas le pouvoir de la vendre à des étrangers, après lui avoir été infidèle. 9 S’il la destine à son fils, il agira envers elle selon le droit des filles. 10 S’il prend une autre femme, il ne retranchera rien pour la première à la nourriture, au vêtement, et au droit conjugal. 11 Et s’il ne fait pas pour elle ces trois choses, elle pourra sortir sans rien payer, sans donner de l’argent.
V. 12-14: cf. No 35:16-34.12 Celui qui frappera un homme mortellement sera puni de mort. 13 S’il ne lui a point dressé d’embûches, et que Dieu l’ait fait tomber sous sa main, je t’établirai un lieu où il pourra se réfugier. 14 Mais si quelqu’un agit méchamment contre son prochain, en employant la ruse pour le tuer, tu l’arracheras même de mon autel, pour le faire mourir.
V. 15-17: cf. De 21:18-21. Mt 15:4-6.15 Celui qui frappera son père ou sa mère sera puni de mort. 16 Celui qui dérobera un homme, et qui l’aura vendu ou retenu entre ses mains, sera puni de mort. 17 Celui qui maudira son père ou sa mère sera puni de mort.
V. 18-36: cf. Lé 24:17-22. Ge 9:5, Ge 6.18 Si des hommes se querellent, et que l’un d’eux frappe l’autre avec une pierre ou avec le poing, sans causer sa mort, mais en l’obligeant à garder le lit, 19 celui qui aura frappé ne sera point puni, dans le cas où l’autre viendrait à se lever et à se promener dehors avec son bâton. Seulement, il le dédommagera de son interruption de travail, et il le fera soigner jusqu’à sa guérison. 20 Si un homme frappe du bâton son esclave, homme ou femme, et que l’esclave meure sous sa main, le maître sera puni. 21 Mais s’il survit un jour ou deux, le maître ne sera point puni; car c’est son argent. 22 Si des hommes se querellent, et qu’ils heurtent une femme enceinte, et la fassent accoucher, sans autre accident, ils seront punis d’une amende imposée par le mari de la femme, et qu’ils paieront devant les juges. 23 Mais s’il y a un accident, tu donneras vie pour vie, 24 œil pour œil, dent pour dent, main pour main, pied pour pied, 25 brûlure pour brûlure, blessure pour blessure, meurtrissure pour meurtrissure. 26 Si un homme frappe l’œil de son esclave, homme ou femme, et qu’il lui fasse perdre l’œil, il le mettra en liberté, pour prix de son œil. 27 Et s’il fait tomber une dent à son esclave, homme ou femme, il le mettra en liberté, pour prix de sa dent. 28 Si un bœuf frappe de ses cornes un homme ou une femme, et que la mort en soit la suite, le bœuf sera lapidé, sa chair ne sera point mangée, et le maître du bœuf ne sera point puni. 29 Mais si le bœuf était auparavant sujet à frapper, et qu’on en ait averti le maître, qui ne l’a point surveillé, le bœuf sera lapidé, dans le cas où il tuerait un homme ou une femme, et son maître sera puni de mort. 30 Si on impose au maître un prix pour le rachat de sa vie, il paiera tout ce qui lui sera imposé. 31 Lorsque le bœuf frappera un fils ou une fille, cette loi recevra son application; 32 mais si le bœuf frappe un esclave, homme ou femme, on donnera trente sicles d’argent au maître de l’esclave, et le bœuf sera lapidé. 33 Si un homme met à découvert une citerne, ou si un homme en creuse une et ne la couvre pas, et qu’il y tombe un bœuf ou un âne, 34 le possesseur de la citerne paiera au maître la valeur de l’animal en argent, et aura pour lui l’animal mort. 35 Si le bœuf d’un homme frappe de ses cornes le bœuf d’un autre homme, et que la mort en soit la suite, ils vendront le bœuf vivant et en partageront le prix; ils partageront aussi le bœuf mort. 36 Mais s’il est connu que le bœuf était auparavant sujet à frapper, et que son maître ne l’ait point surveillé, ce maître rendra bœuf pour bœuf, et aura pour lui le bœuf mort.
The Treatment of Slaves
(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)1 “Give the Israelites the following laws: 2 If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay anything. 3 If he was unmarried when he became your slave, he is not to take a wife with him when he leaves; but if he was married when he became your slave, he may take his wife with him. 4 If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the woman and her children belong to the master, and the man is to leave by himself. 5 But if the slave declares that he loves his master, his wife, and his children and does not want to be set free, 6 then his master shall take him to the place of worship. There he is to make him stand against the door or the doorpost and put a hole through his ear. Then he will be his slave for life.
7 “If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to be set free, as male slaves are. 8 If she is sold to someone who intends to make her his wife, but he doesn't like her, then she is to be sold back to her father; her master cannot sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly. 9 If a man buys a female slave to give to his son, he is to treat her like a daughter. 10 If a man takes a second wife, he must continue to give his first wife the same amount of food and clothing and the same rights that she had before. 11 If he does not fulfill these duties to her, he must set her free and not receive any payment.
Laws about Violent Acts
12 “Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death. 13 But if it was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe. 14 But when someone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is to be put to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.
15 “Whoever hits his father or his mother is to be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps someone, either to sell him or to keep him as a slave, is to be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.
18-19 “If there is a fight and someone hits someone else with a stone or with his fist, but does not kill him, he is not to be punished. If the one who was hit has to stay in bed, but later is able to get up and walk outside with the help of a cane, the one who hit him is to pay for his lost time and take care of him until he gets well.
20 “If a slave owner takes a stick and beats his slave, whether male or female, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner is to be punished. 21 But if the slave does not die for a day or two, the master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough.
22 “If some men are fighting and hurt a pregnant woman so that she loses her child, but she is not injured in any other way, the one who hurt her is to be fined whatever amount the woman's husband demands, subject to the approval of the judges. 23 But if the woman herself is injured, the punishment shall be life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26 “If someone hits his male or female slave in the eye and puts it out, he is to free the slave as payment for the eye. 27 If he knocks out a tooth, he is to free the slave as payment for the tooth.
The Responsibility of Owners
28 “If a bull gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but its owner is not to be punished. 29 But if the bull had been in the habit of attacking people and its owner had been warned, but did not keep it penned up—then if it gores someone to death, it is to be stoned, and its owner is to be put to death also. 30 However, if the owner is allowed to pay a fine to save his life, he must pay the full amount required. 31 If the bull kills a boy or a girl, the same rule applies. 32 If the bull kills a male or female slave, its owner shall pay the owner of the slave thirty pieces of silver, and the bull shall be stoned to death.
33 “If someone takes the cover off a pit or if he digs one and does not cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34 he must pay for the animal. He is to pay the money to the owner and may keep the dead animal. 35 If someone's bull kills someone else's bull, the two of them shall sell the live bull and divide the money; they shall also divide up the meat from the dead animal. 36 But if it was known that the bull had been in the habit of attacking and its owner did not keep it penned up, he must make good the loss by giving the other man a live bull, but he may keep the dead animal.
