Deuteronomy 24

¹If a man takith a wijf, and hath hir, and sche fyndith not grace bifor hise iyen for sum vilite, he schal write a `libel, ethir litil book, of forsakyng, and he schal yyue in `the hond of hir, and he schal delyuere hir fro his hows.

²And whanne sche goith out, and weddith anothir hosebonde,

³and he also hatith hir, and yyueth to hir a `litil booke of forsakyng, and delyuereth hir fro his hows, ethir certis he is deed,

⁴the formere hosebonde schal not mow resseyue hir in to wijf, for sche is defoulid, and maad abhomynable bifore the Lord; lest thou make thi lond to do synne, which lond thi Lord God yaf to thee to welde.

⁵Whanne a man hath take late a wijf, he schal not go forth to batel, nethir ony thing of comyn nede schal be enioyned to hym, but he schal yyue tent with out blame to his hows, that he be glad in o yeer with his wijf.

⁶Thou schalt not take in the stide of wed the lowere and the hiyere queerne stoon of thi brothir, for he puttide his lijf to thee.

⁷If a man is takun, `that is, conuyct in doom, bisili aspiynge to stele his brothir of the sones of Israel, and whanne he hath seeld hym, takith priys, he schal be slayn; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee.

⁸Kepe thou diligentli, lest thou renne in to the sijknesse of lepre, but thou schalt do what euer thingis the preestis of the kyn of Leuy techen thee, bi that that Y comaundide to hem, and `fille thou diligentli.

⁹Haue ye mynde what thingis youre Lord God dide to Marie, in the weie, whanne ye yede `out of Egipt.

¹⁰Whanne thou schalt axe of thi neiyebore ony thing which he owith to thee, thou schalt not entre in to his hows, that thou take awei a wed;

¹¹but thou schalt stonde with out forth, and he schal brynge forth that that he hath.

¹²Sotheli if he is pore, the wed schal not dwelle bi nyyt at thee,

¹³but anoon thou schalt yelde to hym bifor the goyng doun of the sunne, that he slepe in his cloth, and blesse thee, and thou haue riytfulnesse bifor thi Lord God.

¹⁴Thou schalt not denye the hire of thi brother nedi and pore, ethir of the comelyng that dwellith with thee in thi lond, and is with ynne thi yatis;

¹⁵but in the same dai thou schalt yelde to hym the prijs of his trauel, bifor the goyng doun of the sunne, for he is pore, and susteyneth therof his lijf; lest he crye ayens thee to the Lord, and it be arettid to thee into synne.

¹⁶The fadris schulen not be slayn for the sones, nether the sones for the fadris, but ech man schal die for hys owne synne.

¹⁷Thou schalt not `peruerte, ethir waiwardli turne, the doom of the comelyng, and of fadirles ethir modirles; nethir thou schalt take awei in the stide of wed the cloth of a widewe.

¹⁸Haue thou mynde, that thou seruedist in Egipt, and thi Lord God delyuerede thee fro thennus; therfor Y comaunde to thee that thou do this thing.

¹⁹Whanne thou repist corn in the feeld, and foryetist, and leeuest a repe, thou schalt not turne ayen to take it, but thou schalt suffre that a comelyng, and fadirles, ethir modirles, and a widewe take awei, that thi Lord God blesse thee in al the werk of thin hondis.

²⁰If thou gaderist fruytis of olyues, what euer thing leeueth in trees, thou schalt not turne ayen to gadere, but thou schalt leeue to a comelyng, fadirles, ether modirles, and to a widewe.

²¹If thou gaderist grapis of the vyner, thou schalt not gadere raisyns that leeuen, but tho schulen falle in to the vsis of the comelyng, of the fadirles, ethir modirles, and of the wydewe.

²²Haue thou mynde that also thou seruedist in Egipt, and therfor Y comaunde to thee, that thou do this thing.

Deuteronomy 24

¹When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

²And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.

³And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

⁴Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

⁵When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

⁶No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.

⁷If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

⁸Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.

⁹Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.

¹⁰When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.

¹¹Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.

¹²And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:

¹³In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God.

¹⁴Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:

¹⁵At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.

¹⁶The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

¹⁷Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:

¹⁸But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

¹⁹When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.

²⁰When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

²¹When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

²²And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.