King James Version

Deuteronomy 15:17

Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

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Hebrew

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וְלָקַחְתָּ֣velaqachtaand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and take”, a completed action in a sequenceH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַמַּרְצֵ֗עַhamartseathe aulמַרְצֵעַdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the aul”, the ordinary formH4836an awlaul.וְנָתַתָּ֤הvenatatahand giveנָתַןconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and give”, a completed action in a sequenceH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…בְאָזְנוֹ֙veazenvoin earאֹזֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in ear”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH241broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in man)[phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show.וּבַדֶּ֔לֶתuvadeletand in doorדֶּלֶתconjunction, preposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and in door”, the ordinary formH1817something swinging, i.e. the valve of adoordoor (two-leaved), gate, leaf, lid. (Psalm 141:3).וְהָיָ֥הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לְךָ֖lekhatoלְךָ֖preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toעֶ֣בֶדevedservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.עוֹלָ֑םolamalwayעוֹלָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…וְאַ֥ףveafand alsoאַףconjunction, adverb — “and also”H637meaning accession (used as an adverb or conjunction); also or yea; adversatively thoughalso, [phrase] although, and (furthermore, yet), but, even, [phrase] how much less (more, rather than), moreover, with, yea.לַאֲמָתְךָ֖laamatekhato bondmaidאָמָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to bondmaid”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH519a maidservant or female slave(hand-) bondmaid(-woman), maid(-servant).תַּעֲשֶׂהtaasehdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “do”, an unfinished actionH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…כֵּֽןkenas... asכֵּןparticle, demonstrative — “as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be thy bondman for ever. And also unto thy bondwoman thou shalt do likewise.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise.

Young’s Literal Translation

then thou hast taken the awl, and hast put [it] through his ear, and through the door, and he hath been to thee a servant age-during; and also to thy handmaid thou dost do so.

World English Bible

then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.

Darby Translation

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear and into the door; and he shall be thy bondman for ever. And also unto thy handmaid thou shalt do likewise.

Douay-Rheims

Thou shalt take an awl, and bore through his ear in the door of thy house, and he shall serve thee for ever: thou shalt do in like manner to thy womanservant also.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be thy bondman for ever. And also unto thy bondwoman thou shalt do likewise.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

then thou shalt take an awl, and bore his ear through to the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever; and in like manner shalt thou do to thy maid-servant.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ λήψῃ τὸ ὀπήτιον, καὶ τρυπήσεις τὸ ὠτίον αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν θύραν, καὶ ἔσται σοι οἰκέτης εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· καὶ τὴν παιδίσκην σου ὡσαύτως ποιήσεις.