Exodus 22:1-15

Laws concerning Restitution

22¹ If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made. ² If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood. ³ But if it is after dawn, he will be responsible. ⁴ If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value. ⁵ If a man makes a fire in a field or a vine-garden, and lets the fire do damage to another man's field, he is to give of the best produce of his field or his vine-garden to make up for it. ⁶ If there is a fire and the flames get to the thorns at the edge of the field, causing destruction of the cut grain or of the living grain, or of the field, he who made the fire will have to make up for the damage.

⁷ If a man puts money or goods in the care of his neighbour to keep for him, and it is taken from the man's house, if they get the thief, he will have to make payment of twice the value. ⁸ 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. ⁹ In any question about an ox or an ass or a sheep or clothing, or about the loss of any property which anyone says is his, let the two sides put their cause before God; and he who is judged to be in the wrong is to make payment to his neighbour of twice the value. ¹⁰ If a man puts an ass or an ox or a sheep or any beast into the keeping of his neighbour, and it comes to death or is damaged or is taken away, without any person seeing it: ¹¹ If he takes his oath before the Lord that he has not put his hand to his neighbour's goods, the owner is to take his word for it and he will not have to make payment for it. ¹² But if it is taken from him by a thief, he is to make up for the loss of it to its owner. ¹³ But if it has been damaged by a beast, and he is able to make this clear, he will not have to make payment for what was damaged. ¹⁴ If a man gets from his neighbour the use of one of his beasts, and it is damaged or put to death when the owner is not with it, he will certainly have to make payment for the loss. ¹⁵ If the owner is with it, he will not have to make payment: if he gave money for the use of it, the loss is covered by the payment.