then his mastershall bringhim to God,then he shall bringhim to the doororthe doorpost.And his mastershall piercehis earwith an awl;and he shall servehim permanently.
Then they spoketo him, saying,"Ifyou will be a servantto thispeopletoday,and will servethem and grantthem their petition,and speakgoodwordsto them, then they will be your servantsforever."
GodtakesHis standin His own congregation;He judgesin the midstof the rulers.
For I will gothroughthe landof Egypton that night,and will strikedownallthe firstbornin the landof Egypt,bothmanand beast;and against allthe godsof EgyptI will executejudgments--I am the LORD.
"Ifmenstrugglewith each other and strikea womanwith childso that she givesbirthprematurely,yet there is noinjury,he shall surelybe finedas the woman'shusbandmay demandof him, and he shall payas the judges[decide].
"But ifthe slaveplainlysays,'I lovemy master,my wifeand my children;I will not goout as a freeman,'
"Ifa mansellshis daughteras a femaleslave,she is not to gofreeas the maleslavesdo.
"You shall not curseGod,norcursea rulerof your people.
"Then I will restoreyour judgesas at the first,And your counselorsas at the beginning;Afterthat you will be calledthe cityof righteousness,A faithfulcity."
The land,moreover, shall not be soldpermanently,for the landis Mine; for you are [but] aliensand sojournerswith Me.
He shall be with you as a hiredman,as if he were a sojourner;he shall servewith you untilthe yearof jubilee.
Her princeswithinher are roaringlions,Her judgesare wolvesat evening;They leavenothingfor the morning.
"Then I chargedyour judgesat that time,saying,'Hear[the cases] betweenyour fellowcountrymen,and judgerighteouslybetweena manand his fellowcountryman,or the alienwho is with him.
"It shall comeabout ifhe saysto you, 'I will not goout from you,' becausehe lovesyou and your household,sincehe fares wellwith you;
then you shall takean awland pierceit through his earinto the door,and he shall be your servantforever.Alsoyou shall dolikewiseto your maidservant.
"You shall appointfor yourself judgesand officersin allyour townswhichthe LORDyour Godis givingyou, according to your tribes,and they shall judgethe peoplewith righteousjudgment.
But Hannahdid not goup, for she saidto her husband,"[I will not go up] untilthe childis weaned;then I will bringhim, that he may appearbeforethe LORDand staythereforever."
So AchishbelievedDavid,saying,"He has surelymadehimself odiousamong his peopleIsrael;therefore he will becomemy servantforever."
Davidsaidto Achish,"Verywell,you shall knowwhatyour servantcan do."So Achishsaidto David,"Verywell,I will makeyou my bodyguardfor life."
