Deuteronomy · Chapter 19

[ edit] Whanne þe Lord þi God ſhal ſcatre þe gentilis, whos loond he is to take to þee, and þow weeldiſt it, and dwelliſt in þe citees of it, and in þe howſes; þre citees þow ſhalt ſeuer to þee in þe myddil of þe loond þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee into poſſeſſioun. Þow ſhalt biſily make redi a weye, and dyuyde in þre partis euenlich al þe prouynce of þi loond, þat he þat for manſlauȝter is flowun, haue fro nyȝ whedir he may ſcaap. Þis ſhal be lawe of þe manſleer fleynge, whos lijf is to be kept.

He þat ſmytiþ his neiȝbore vnwitynge, and þat ȝiſterday or þe þridde day hens, noon aȝens hym to haue had haat is preued, but to haue goo aweye wiþ hym ſymplich into þe wode to trees to be kit, and in þe hewynge of þe trees þe axe fleeþ þe hoond, and þe yren, ſlipt of fro þe haft, ſmytiþ his freend, and ſleeþ; þis to oon of þe forſeid citees ſhal fleeȝ, and lyue; leſt perauenture þe next of kyn of hym, whos blood is ſhed, þurȝ ſorwe ſtyryd purſue, and take hym, if lenger þe weie were, and ſmyte þe ſoule of hym þat is not gilty of deeþ; for noon aȝens hym þat is ſlayn haat to haue hadde before is ſhewid. Þerfor Y comaunde to þee, þat þre citees of euen ſpace bitwixe hem ſelf þow deuyde.

Forſoþe whanne þe Lord þi God haþ largid þi teermys, as he ſwore to þi fadres, and haþ ȝyue to þee al þe loond, þat to hem he bihiȝt; if neuerþelater þow kepiſt þe heeſtis of hym, and doſt þat to day I comaunde to þee, þat þow loue þe Lord þi God, and goo in his weyes al tyme, þow ſhalt adde to þee þree oþer citees, and of þe þree cyteſe aboue ſeide þe noumbre þow ſhalt dowble, þat giltles blood be not ſhed in þe myddil of þe loond þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee to be weldid, leſt þou be of blood gilti.

Forſoþe if eny hauynge his neiȝbour to haat, weitid to þe lijf of hym, and ryſynge ſmyte hym, and were deed, and fleeþ to oon of þe aboue ſeid citees, þe aldren of þat citee ſhulen ſeende, and taken hym fro þe place of his out fleynge; and þei ſhulen take into þe hoond of þe neiȝbour of hym, whos blood is ſhed, and he ſhal die, ne þow ſhalt haue mercy of hym; and þow ſhalt doo awey gilti blood fro Yrael, þat wel it be to þee. Þow ſhalt not take, and ouerbere þe teermes of þi neiȝbour, þe whiche han maad raþer men in þi poſſeſſioun, þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee, in þe loond þat þow takiſt to be weldid.

O witnes ſhal not ſtoond aȝens eny man, what euere þing it were of ſynne, or of greet treſpas; but in mouþ of two or of þree witneſſis ſhal ſtoonde ech word. If þere ſtoonde a witnes lyȝer aȝens man, accuſynge hym of treſpas, þei ſhulen ſtoond boþe, of whom is þe cauſe, before þe Lord, in þe ſiȝt of preeſtis, and domyſmen, þat weren in þilk days. And whanne mooſt biſily enſeerchynge þei fynden þe fals witnes to haue ſeide aȝens his broþir leeſynge, ȝeelde þei to hym, as he þouȝte to doo to his broþer; and þou ſhalt doo awey yuel fro þe myddil of þee, þat oþere men herynge, han drede, and be not hardy to doo ſiche þingis.

Þow ſhalt not haue mercy of hym, but lijf for lijf, eye for eye, tooþ for tooþ, hoond for hoond, foot for foot þow ſhalt axe.