# Page:Laws of Hammurabi, King of Babylonia.djvu/30

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RECORDS OF THE PAST

Grochen, the wages of . . . . . . (?) Grochen, the wages of a . . . . . . (?) Grochen, the wages of a carpenter shall be 4 Grochen, the wages of a rope-maker (?) shall be 4 Grochen, the wages of a . . . . . . (?) Grochen, the wages of a mason shall be (?) Grochen, per day.

275. If anyone hires a ship [from another] he is to give for the use of the ship for each day, 3 Grochen of money as rent.

276. If he hires a freight ship he is to give 2½ Grochen per day.

277. If anyone hires a ship of 60 "gur" [capacity] he shall give $\mathrm \tfrac{1}{6}$ shekel of money a day as rent therefor.

278. If anyone buys a male or female slave, and before the end of the month the bênu-sickness attacks the slave, he shall give the slave back to the vendor and shall receive back from the vendor the money that he has paid [for the slave].

279. If anyone buys a male or female slave and a claim is laid to them [by a third party] the vendor selling without right so to do is responsible both to the owner and purchaser.

280. If anyone buys male or female slaves in a foreign country, and he goes into that country and the owner recognizes his male or female slave; if the male or female slaves are children of a common country he is to return them without paying money damages [being called upon to pay damages to the owner].

281. If they [the slaves] come from another country the purchaser shall make oath as to the amount of money he paid for the slaves, and the owner shall thereupon pay back to the purchaser the money which he has paid [for the slaves] and take the male or female slaves into his possession again.

282. If a slave says to his master, "You are not my master," and is proven guilty of this [of falsifying in respect thereto], his owner may cut off his ear.

HAMMURABI'S CONCLUSION

The determination of law of the ever wise King Hammurabi, who taught the country proper law and the pious institutions. Hammurabi, the protecting King, am I. Men, whom Bêl gave me, the government of whom Marduk has given me, I did not flee from; I was not dilatory, I furnished them with residences of peace, I opened steep passes, I let light shine out from them, with a mighty weapon which Zamama and Istar loaned me, with a keen glance which Ea determined for me, with the wisdom which Marduk gave me; I routed out the enemies above and below [north and south], I subjugated the earth, I furnished the country with well-being, the inhabitants of the residences with life and safety, I did not tolerate a disturber of the peace; the great gods called me, I am the good shepherd [sovereign], whose staff [scepter] is straight [just], the good shadow [umbrella], which is spread over my city; at my breast I nurse the inhabitants of the land Sumer and Akkad [Babylonia], in my protection I let them rest in peace, in my wisdom I harbored them that the strong should not injure the weak, to make safe widows and orphans; I have rested in Babylon, I have rested in the town of Babylon, the town of Anu and Bêl their head. In Sagila the temple whose foundations stand firm as heaven and earth, I have in order to speak the right of the land, to determine the matters of conflict, to heal the injuries of, my valuable words I have inscribed upon my memorial stone, upon my image, erected as a king of justice, who rises above the kings of the city am I.