Deuteronomy · Chapter 21

[ edit] Whanne þere were founde in þe loond þat þe Lord þi God is to ȝyue to þee, a careyn of a ſlayn man, and ſhal be vnknowun þe gilti of þe deþ, þe more þurȝ birþ ſhulen goon out, and þi domeſmen, and þe ſpacis of alle þe cytees bi enuyroun ſhal be meetid fro þe place of þe careyn; and which þei biholden be ner þan oþer, þe aldre men of þat citee ſhulen taak a ſhee calf fro þe droue, þat haþ not taak ȝok, ne loond haþ kit wiþ ſhaar; and þei ſhulen lede it to þe rowȝ valey, and ſtony, þat neuer was eeryd, ne ſeed haþ reſſeyued; and þei ſhulen kit in it þe ſcullis of þe calf.

And preeſtis, þe ſones of Leuy, whom þe Lord þi God haþ choſun, þat þei ſeruen to hym, and bleſſen in his name, ſhulen goo to, and at þe word of hem al þe nede ſhal honge; and what euere þing is clene or vnclene, be it demyd. And þe more þurȝ birþ of þat cytee ſhulen come to þe ſlayn man, and þei ſhulen waſſhe her hoondis vpon þe ſhee calf, þat ys ſmyten in þe valey; and þei ſhulen ſeye, Oure hondis han not ſhad þis blood, ne eyen han ſeen. Lord, be merciable to þi puple Yrael, þat þow haſt bouȝt, and rette not þe innocent blood in þe myddil of þi puple Irael. And þe gilt of þe blood ſhal be taak aweye fro hem.

Forſoþe þow ſhalt be alyen fro þe blood of þe innocent þat is ſhad, whanne þow doſt þat þe Lord haþ comaundid. If þow goſt out to þe fiȝt aȝens þin enemyes, and þe Lord þi God haþ taken hem in þin hoond, and haſt brouȝt chaytyues, and ſeeſt in þe noumbre of cheytyues a feyr womman, and loueſt hir, and wolt han hir to wijf, þow ſhalt lede hir into þin hows; þe which ſhal ſhaue þe heer, and ſhal kyt about þe naylis, and ſhe ſhal do of þe clooþ in þe which ſhe is taak, and ſittynge in þin hows, ſhe ſhal weepe fader and hir moder o monþ; and aftyrward þow ſhalt goon yn to hir, and þow ſhalt ſleep wiþ hir, and ſhe ſhal be þi wijf.

Forſoþe if afterward ſhe ſittiþ not in þin inwit, þow ſhalt leeue hir free, ne ſelle þow mayſt bi money, ne oppreſſe bi power, for þow haſt mekid hir. If a man haue two wyues, oon loued, and anoþer odyows, and getiþ of hir free chyldren, and þe ſone of þe odiows were firſt goten, and wold þe ſubſtaunce among his ſones dyuyde, he ſhal not mowe þe ſone of þe loued make firſt goten, and put before þe ſone of þe odiows, but þe ſone of þe odyows he ſhal knowe firſt goten, and he ſhal ȝyue to hym of þes þingis þat he haþ alle þingis dowble; forſoþe þis is þe bigynnynge of þe free children of hym, and to þis ben owen þe firſt goten.

If a man gete a rebel ſone, and a fraward, þat heriþ not þe fadres and modres heeſt, and clepid to obeyſhe, diſpiſe, þei ſhulen taak hym, and lede to þe aldre men of þe citee of hym, and to þe ȝate of doom; and þei ſhulen ſeye to hem, Þis oure ſone is fraward, and rebel; oure heeſtis diſpiſiþ to here, to glotryes takiþ hede, and to leccherye, and to feeſtis. Þe puple of þe cytee ſhal þrow hym down wiþ ſtonus, and he ſhal dye, þat ȝe doon awei yuel fro þe myddil of ȝou, and al Iſrael hering wexe afeerd.

Whanne a man ſynneþ þat þat is to punyſſhynge bi deþ, and demed to deeþ were hongid in þe gebet, þe careyn of hym ſhal not abide in þe tree, but in þe ſame day ſhal be biried; for curſid he is of God þat hongiþ in þe tree, and þow ſhalt not defoule þi loond þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee into poſſeſſioun.