21 These are the rules that you must present to them:

2 If you buy a Ivri (Hebrew) slave, he should serve for six years, then in the seventh year he must be set free without having to pay you anything.[ref] 3 If he came by himself, he can go free by himself. If he’s married with a wife, then his wife must be set free with him. 4 If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, then the wife and her children are her master’s, and only the husband must be set free. 5 But if he plainly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children so I voluntarily choose not to be set free,” 6 then his master must take him to the place of worship. He must bring him to a door or to a doorpost, and his master must bore a hole his ear with an awl. Then he must serve him for life.

7 And if a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she won’t be sent away after six years like the male slaves. 8 If the man who bought her wanted her to become his slave-wife, but later he isn’t pleased with her behaviour, he must allow her to be bought back by her relatives. He has no authority to sell her on to outsiders, because that would break the understanding of proper treatment of her. 9 Or if he selected her to become his son’s slave-wife, then he must treat her like a daughter would expect to be treated. 10 If he go on to take another slave-wife, he mustn’t reduce the first one’s food or clothing, or her marital rights, 11 but if he doesn’t provide these three things to her, then she can go free without having to pay anything.

12 If a fellow Israeli is sold to you[fn] and serves you for six years, then you must free them in the seventh year.[ref] 13 But when you free them, don’t send them off empty-handed 14 but instead, give to them generously from your flock and from your barn and from your wine. In whatever ways your god Yahweh has blessed you, you should give to them. 15 Always remember that you were a slave in Mitsrayim (Egypt) and your god Yahweh redeemed you out of there, so that’s why I’m commanding you to do that.

16 However, if any slave says that they don’t want to leave you, because they appreciate you and your household, and so they’re better off to stay with you, 17 then get an awl and stand them against the doorpost and pierce one of their earlobes with the awl, then that person (male or female) will be your slave forever. 18 Don’t complain when you have to release your slaves, because they’ve served you up to six years and been double the value of a regular hired worker, plus your god Yahweh will bless you in whatever you do.