Exodus · Chapter 21

[ edit] Thes ben þe domes, þat þow ſhalt purpoſe to hem. If þow bye an Ebrew ſeruaunt, ſixe ȝeer ſerue he to þee, in þe ſeuenþe ȝeer he ſhal goo out fre, freliche; wiþ what maner cloþing he com yn, wiþ ſiche he go out; and if he is hauynge a wijf, and þe wijf goo out at ones. If forſoþe þe lord ȝyue to hym a wijf, and ſhe ber ſones and dowȝtris, þe womman and þe fre children of hir ſhulen be of his lord; he forſoþe ſhal goo out wiþ his cloþing.

Þat if þe ſeruaunt ſeie, Y loue my lord, and wijf, and fre children, I ſhal not goon out fre; þe lord offre hym to þe goddis, and he ſhal be preſentid to þe dore, and poſtes; and he ſhal þril his eer wiþ an alle, and he ſhal be to hym a ſeruaunt into þe world. If eny ſille his dowȝter into a ſeruaunt, ſhe ſhal not goo out as handmaydens weren wont to goon out; if ſhe diſpleſe in þe eyen of hir lord, to whom ſhe was takun, he ſhal leeue hir; forſoþe to an alyen puple he ſhal not haue power of ſillyng, if he leeue hir.

If forſoþe he ſpouſe hir to his ſone, after þe maner of dowȝtres he ſhal do to hir; and if he tak anoþer womman to hym, he ſhal puruey to þe mayden bridalis and cloþes, and þe pryſe of þe clennes he ſhal not denye. If þes þre þingis he do not, ſhe ſhal goon out frelich wiþ outen money. Who ſmytiþ a man, wilnynge to ſlee, wiþ deeþ die he; who forſoþe is not aweytid, but God haþ takun hym into his hondes, Y ſhal ordeyne to þee a place whidyr hym awe to flee. If eny man of auyſement ſle his neiȝbour and by aſpyes, fro myn auteer þow ſhalt pul hym, þat he be ſlayn. Who ſmytiþ his fader, or moder, wiþ deeþ dye he. Who curſiþ his fader, or moder, be he deed.

Who ſteliþ a man, and ſelliþ hym, conuycte of þe treſpas, wiþ deeþ dye he. If men chiden, and þat oon ſmyte his neiȝbour wiþ ſtoon, or wiþ fiſt, and he be not deed, but lye in þe bed, if he aryſe and goo out vpon his ſtaf, he ſhal be ynnocent þat ſmoot; ſo neuerþeles þat he reſtore þe biſy traueils of hym, and þe expenſis into leches. Who ſo ſmyteþ his ſeruaunt, or handmayden, wiþ a ȝerde, and þei dien in her hondes, he ſhal be gilti of deedly blame. If forſoþe he lyue ouer a day, or two, he ſhal not be vndurcaſt to þat peyne, for þe money of hym he is.

If men chiden, and a man ſmyte a womman wiþ child, and make forſoþe þe child deed born, but ſhe lyueþ, he ſhal be vndurcaſt to þe harme, as myche as þe houſbond of þe womman wole aſke, and domes men ſhulen deme. If forſoþe hir deeþ folwe, he ſhal ȝeld lijf for lijf, eye for eye, tooþ for tooþ, hoond for hoond, foot for foot, brynnyng for brynnyng, wounde for wounde, blones for blones. If eny man ſmyte þe eye of his ſeruaunt, or of hondmayden, and make hem pure blynde, he ſhal leeue hem free for þe eye þat he haþ drawun out. A tooþ forſoþe if eny man ſmyte out to his ſeruaunt, or to his handmayden, liyk maner he ſhal leeue hem free.

If an oxe wiþ þe horn ſmyte a man, or a womman, and þei weren deed, he ſhal be þrowun doun to deeþ wiþ ſtones, and his fleſh ſhal not be etun, and þe lord ſhal be innocent of þe oxe. And if an oxe be an hornputter fro ȝiſterday and þe þridde day hens, and þei han warned þe lord of hym, befor witnes, and þe lord haþ not holdun hym yn, and he ſlee a man, or womman, þe oxe ſhal be þrow doun to þe deeþ wiþ ſtones, and þe lord of it þei ſhulen ſlee; and if pryis be ſet to hym, he ſhal ȝyue for his lijf what euer be aſkid. Þe ſone forſoþe and þe douȝter if it ſmyte wiþ horn, to þe lijk ſentence he ſhal vnderligge.

If ſeruaunt and hondmayden it aſeyl, þretti ownces of ſiluer he ſhal ȝyue to his lord; þe oxe forſoþe ſhal be þrowun down wiþ ſtoons. If eny man open a cyſtern, and delue, and not coueriþ it, and oxe or aſſe fal into it, þe lord of þe ciſtern ſhal ȝeeld þe prijs of þe beeſtis, and þat þat is deed ſhal be his. If an alyen oxe wounde an oxe of anoþer mannus, and he were deed, þe quyk oxe þei ſhulen ſelle, and þei ſhulen dyuyde þe prijs; þe careyn forſoþe of þe deed þei ſhulen depart bitwix hem. If forſoþe he wiſte, þat þe oxe was an hornputter fro ȝiſterday and fro þe þridde day hens, and his lord kepide hym not, he ſhal ȝeeld oxe for oxe, and þe hool careyn he ſhal al take.