Deuteronomy 24

1 If 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.

And if any one should take a wife, and should dwell with her, then it shall come to pass if she should not have found favour before him, because he has found some unbecoming thing in her, that he shall write for her a bill of divorcement, and give it into her hands, and he shall send her away out of his house.

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

And [if] she should go away and be married to another man;

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

and the last husband should hate her, and write for her a bill of divorcement; and should give it into her hands, and send her away out of his house, and the last husband should die, who took her to himself for a wife;

4 the 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.

the former husband who sent her away shall not be able to return and take her to himself for a wife, after she has been defiled; because it is an abomination before the Lord thy God, and ye shall not defile the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee to inherit.

5 Whanne 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.

And if any one should have recently taken a wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall any thing be laid upon him; he shall be free in his house; for one year he shall cheer his wife whom he has taken.

6 Thou 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.

Thou shalt not take for a pledge the under millstone, nor the upper millstone; for he who does so takes life for a pledge.

7 If 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.

And if a man should be caught stealing one of his brethren of the children of Israel, and having overcome him he should sell him, that thief shall die; so shalt thou remove that evil one from yourselves.

8 Kepe 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.

Take heed to thyself in [regard of] the plague of leprosy: thou shalt take great heed to do according to all the law, which the priests the Levites shall report to you; take heed to do, as I have charged you.

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

Remember all that the Lord thy God did to Mariam in the way, when ye were going out of Egypt.

10 Whanne 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;

If thy neighbour owe thee a debt, any debt whatsoever, thou shalt not go into his house to take his pledge:

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

thou shalt stand without, and the man who is in thy debt shall bring the pledge out to thee.

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

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

13 but 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.

Thou shalt surely restore his pledge at sunset, and he shall sleep in his garment, and he shall bless thee; and it shall be mercy to thee before the Lord thy God.

14 Thou 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;

Thou shalt not unjustly withhold the wages of the poor and needy of thy brethren, or of the strangers who are in thy cities.

15 but 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.

Thou shalt pay him his wages the same day, the sun shall not go down upon it, because he is poor and he trusts in it; and he shall cry against thee to the Lord, and it shall be sin in thee.

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

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, and the sons shall not be put to death for the fathers; every one shall be put to death for his own sin.

17 Thou 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.

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the stranger and the fatherless, and widow; thou shalt not take the widow's garment for a pledge.

18 Haue 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.

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee from thence; therefore I charge thee to do this thing.

19 Whanne 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.

And when thou shalt have reaped corn in thy field, and shalt have forgotten a sheaf in thy field, thou shalt not return to take it; it shall be for the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works of thy hands.

20 If 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.

And if thou shouldest gather thine olives, thou shalt not return to collect the remainder; it shall be for the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, and thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing.

21 If 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.

And when soever thou shalt gather the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean what thou hast left; it shall be for the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow:

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

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