Exodus · Chapter 22

[ edit] If eny man haþ ſtoln ſheep, or oxe, and ſleeþ, or ſelliþ, fyue oxen for oon oxe he ſhal reſtore, and foure ſheep for o ſheep. If a þeef brekynge an hows, or were foundun vndurmynynge, and wiþ a wounde takun were deed, þe ſmyter ſhal not be gilti of þe blood; and if þe ſunne ſprongne he do þat, he haþ doon manſlauȝter, and he ſhal die. And if he haue not to ȝelde for þe þefte, he ſhal be ſoold; and if þere be founde anentis hym lyuynge þat þat he haþ ſtoln, eiþer oxe, or aſſe, or ſheep, þe dowble he ſhal reſtore.

If eny man harme feeld, or vynȝeerd, and leeue his beeſte, þat it waſte oþer mennus þingis, what euer beſt þing he haþ in his feeld, or vynȝeerd, he ſhal reſtore for eſtymacioun of þe harm. If fyer goon out fynde eeres, and cacche þe rekes of corn, or þe corn ſtondynge in feeldis, he ſhal ȝeeld þe harm þat tyndeþ þe fier. If eny man leene money to a freend, or veſſel into kepyng, and fro hym þat tok þei weren takun awey bi þeft, if þe þeef be foundun, he ſhal ȝeeld þe dowble.

And if þe þeef is vnknowun, þe lord of þe hows ſhal be preſentid to þe goddis, and he ſhall ſweer, þat he ſtrauȝte not hoond into þe þing of his neiȝbore, for to be don gijl; as wel in oxe, and in aſſe, and ſheep, and cloþing; and what euer of harm he maye brynge yn, to þe goddis þe cauſe of eiþer ſhal com, and if þei demen, he ſhal ȝeeld þe dowble to his neiȝbour. If eny leene to his neiȝbore oxe, aſſe, ſheep, and al beeſte to kepynge, and it were deed, or febliſhid, or takun of enemyes, and no man ſe it, þere ſhal be þe lawe of ooþ in þe mydle, þat he ſtrauȝte not out þe hoond to þe þing of his neiȝbore; and þe lord ſhal tak þe ooþ, and he ſhal not be conſtreyned to ȝeeld aȝen.

Þat if þruȝ þeft it were takun awey, he ſhal reſtore þe harm to þe lord; and if it be etun of a beeſte, brynge he forþe to hym þat þat is ſlayn, and he ſhal not reſtore. Who of his neiȝbore eny þing of þes aſkiþ to borwe, and it were enfebliſhed, or deed, þe lord not preſent, he ſhal be compellid to ȝeeld; and if þe lord were preſent, he ſhal not reſtore, mooſt if þe hirid was ſoold, for mede of his werk. And if eny man bere down a mayden not ȝit ſpowſid, and he ſleep wiþ hir, he ſhal dowe hir, and he ſhal haue hir to wijf. And if þe fader of þe mayden wole not ȝyue, he ſhal ȝeeld þe money, after þe maner of dowyng, þat maydens weren wont to tak.

Clepers of deuels þow ſhalt not ſuffre to lyue. What man ſo goþe togidere wiþ a beeſte, wiþ deeþ die he. Who offreþ to goddis, but to þe Lord oonly, be he ſlayne. A comlyng þow ſhalt not mak ſory, ne turment hym; forſoþe comlyngis and ȝoure ſeluen weren in þe loond of Egipte. To þe wydowe and þe faderles child þow ſhalt not anoye. If þow harmeſt hem, þei ſhulen crye to me, and Y ſhal here þe crye of hem, and my woodnes ſhal dedeyn, and Y ſhal ſmyte ȝow wiþ ſwerd, and ȝoure wyues ſhulen be wydewes, and ȝoure ſones faderles. And if þow leenyſt money to my pore faderles child, þat dwelliþ wiþ þee, þow ſhalt not conſtreyn hym, as a fraward aſker, ne þow ſhalt not oppreſſe him wiþ vſurys.

If þow takiſt of þi neiȝbore a clooþ wed, before þe goynge down of þe ſunne þow ſhalt ȝeeld it to hym; þat is forſoþe al oonli þurȝ which is couerid þe cloþing of his fleſh, ne he haþ noon oþer, in þe which he ſleep; if he crye to me, Y ſhal here hym; for Y am mercyable. To þe goddis þow ſhalt not bacbite, and to þe prince of þi puple þow ſhalt not curſe. Þy dymes and fyrſt fruytis þow ſhalt not tarye to offre.

Þe firſt gotun of þi ſones þow ſhalt ȝyue to me; of oxen forſoþe, and ſheep þow ſhalt doon lijk maner; ſeuen dayes be he wiþ his moder, and þe eiȝtiþ day þow ſhalt ȝeeld hym to me. Ȝe ſhulen be holy men to me; þe fleſh þat were before taſtid of beeſtis ȝe ſhulen not eete, but ȝe ſhulen caſte it to doggis.