< Exodus 22 >

1 Yahweh also said, “If someone steals a bull or a sheep, and then slaughters it [to sell it or to sacrifice it] or sells its [meat to someone else], he must pay five bulls for the bull [that he stole], and [he must pay] four sheep for the sheep [that he stole].
If ony man stelith a scheep, ether oxe, and sleeth, ether sillith, he schal restore fiue oxen for oon oxe, and foure scheep for o scheep.
2 If a thief is caught while he is breaking into someone else’s house [at night], if [the one who catches him] kills the thief, he is not guilty of murdering him.
And if a nyyt theef brekynge an hows, ether vndurmynynge, is foundun, and is deed bi a wounde takun, the smytere schal not be gilti of blood;
3 But if that happens during the daytime, [the one who killed the thief] is guilty of murdering him. The thief must pay for what he stole. If he has no [animals with which to pay for the one that he stole], he must be sold to [become someone’s else’s slave and the money must be used] to pay for what he stole.
that if he dide this whanne the sunne was rysun, he dide man sleyng, and he schal die. If a theef hath not that, that he schal yelde for thefte, he schal be seeld;
4 If the thief still has the animal when he is caught, whether it is a bull or a donkey or a sheep, and it is still alive, the thief must give back [the stolen animal as well as giving] two [additional] animals for each one that he stole.
if that thing that he staal, is foundun quyk at hym, ether oxe, ether asse, ether scheep, he schal restore the double.
5 If someone allows his animals to (graze/eat the grass) in his field or in his vineyard, and if they stray away and eat the crops in another person’s field, the owner of the animals must pay [the owner of those crops] by giving him the best crops from his own field or vineyard.
If a man harmeth a feeld, ethir vyner, and suffrith his beeste, that it waaste othere mennus thingis, he schal restore for the valu of harm, `what euer beste thing he hath in his feeld, ethir vyner.
6 Suppose someone starts a fire in his own field, and the fire spreads through the grass and starts burning in someone else’s field, and the fire burns grain that is growing or grain that is already [cut and] stacked. Then the person who started the fire must pay completely for the damage.
If fier goith out, and fyndith eeris of corn, and catchith heepis of corn, ethir cornes stondynge in feeldis, he that kyndlide the fier schal yeelde the harm.
7 Suppose someone gives to another person some money or other valuable goods and asks him to guard them [in his house for a while]. If those things are stolen from that person’s house, if the thief is caught, he must pay back twice [as much as he stole].
If a man bitakith in to kepyng monei to a freend, ether a vessel `in to keping, and it is takun awey bi thefte fro hym that resseyuede, if the theef is foundun, he schal restore the double.
8 But if the thief is not caught, the owner of the house [from which the things were stolen] must stand before the judges, so that the judges can determine whether [the owner of the house] was the one who took the other man’s goods [and sold them to someone else].
If the theef is hid, the lord of the hows schal be brouyt to goddis, `that is, iugis, and he schal swere, that he helde not forth the hond in to `the thing of his neiybore,
9 If two people argue about which one of them owns a bull or a donkey or a sheep or some clothing, or something else that has been lost, the two people who each claim/say that the item belongs to them must stand before the judges. The one whom the judges declare is lying must pay back [to the real owner] twice as many bulls or donkeys or sheep or pieces of clothing.
to `do fraude; as wel in oxe, as in asse, and in scheep, and in clooth; and what euer thing may brynge in harm, the cause of euer eithir schal come to goddis, and if thei demen, he schal restore the double to his neiybore.
10 Suppose someone gives his donkey or bull or sheep or some other animal to someone else and asks him to take care of it [for a while], and the animal dies or is injured or is stolen while no one is watching.
If ony man bitakith to his neiybore oxe, asse, scheep, and al werk beeste to kepyng, and it is deed, ether is maad feble, ethir is takun of enemyes, and no man seeth this,
11 Then the person [who was taking care of the animal] must (swear/solemnly declare), knowing that God is listening, that he did not steal the animal. If he did not steal it the owner of the animal must accept/believe that the other person is telling the truth, and the other person will not have to pay anything back to the owner.
an ooth schal be in the myddis, that he helde not forth the hond to the `thing of his neiybore; and the lord schal resseyue the ooth, and he schal not be compellid to yelde.
12 But if the animal was stolen [while he was supposed to be taking care of it], the man who promised to take care of it must pay back the owner for the animal.
That if it is takun awei bi thefte, he schal restore the harm to the lord;
13 If [he says that] the animal was killed by wild animals, he must bring back the remains of the animal that was killed and show it to the animal’s owner. If he does that, he will not have to pay anything for the animal.
if it is etun of a beeste, he schal brynge to the lord that that is slayn, and he schal not restore.
14 If someone borrows an animal, and if that animal is hurt or dies when its owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal.
He that axith of his neiybore ony thing of these bi borewyng, and it is feblid, ether deed, while the lord is not present, he schal be constreyned to yelde; that if the lord is in presence,
15 But if that happens when the owner of the animal is there, the one who borrowed it will not have to pay back anything. If the man who borrowed it only rented it, the money that he paid to rent it will be enough to pay for the animal [dying or being injured].”
he schal not restore, moost if it cam hirid, for the meede of his werk.
16 “If a man persuades a girl/woman to have sex with him, a girl/woman who (is a virgin/has never had sex with any man) and who is not engaged to be married, he must pay the bride price for her and marry her.
If a man disseyueth a virgyn not yit weddid, and slepith with hir, he schal yyue dower to hir, and schal haue hir wijf.
17 But if her father refuses to allow her to marry him, he must pay to the woman’s father the amount of money that is equal to the amount of bride price money that men pay for virgins.
If the fadir of the virgyn nyle yyue, he schal yelde money, bi the maner of dower, which virgyns weren wont to take.
18 You must execute any woman who (practices sorcery/is a shaman).
Thou schalt not suffre witchis to lyue.
19 You must execute any person who has sex with an animal.
He that doith letcherie with a beeste, die by deeth.
20 You [must offer sacrifices] only to Yahweh. You must execute anyone who offers a sacrifice to any [other] god.
He that offrith to goddis, out takun to the Lord aloone, be he slayn.
21 You must not mistreat a foreigner [who comes to live among you]. Do not forget that you were previously foreigners in Egypt.
Thou schalt not make sory a comelyng, nether thou schalt turmente hym; for also ye weren comelyngis in the lond of Egipt.
22 You must not mistreat any widow or any orphan.
Ye schulen not anoye a widewe, and a fadirles ethir modirles child.
23 If you mistreat them and they cry out to me [for help], I will hear them.
If ye hirten hem, thei schulen crye to me, and Y schal here the cry of hem,
24 And I will be angry with you, and I will cause you to be killed in a war [MTY]. Your wives will become widows, and your children will no longer have fathers.
and my greet veniaunce schal haue indignacioun, and Y schal smyte you with swerd, and youre wyues schulen be widewis, and youre sones schulen be fadirles.
25 If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest on the money.
If thou yyuest money to loone to my pore puple, that dwellith with thee, thou schalt not constreyne hym, as an extorsioner doith, nether thou schalt oppresse hym by vsuris.
26 If he gives you his cloak to guarantee [that he will pay the money back], you must give the cloak back to him before the sun goes down,
If thou takist of thi neiybore `a wed a clooth, thou schalt yelde to hym bifore the goyng doun of the sunne;
27 because he needs it to keep him warm [during the night]. (That is the only covering that poor people have when they sleep at night./What else will he cover himself with during the night?) [RHQ] [If you do not act mercifully toward him by returning his cloak], when he cries out to me asking for my help, I will help him, because I [always act] mercifully.
for that aloone is the cloothing of his fleisch, with which he is hilid, nether he hath another, in which he slepith; if he crieth to me, Y schal here hym; for Y am mercyful.
28 Do not (revile/speak evil about) me, and do not (curse/ask me to do harmful things to) any ruler of your people.
Thou schalt not bacbyte goddis, and thou schalt not curse the prince of thi puple.
29 (Do not withhold from/Give) me the best parts of the grain that you harvest and of the olive oil and the wine that you produce.
Thou schalt not tarye to offre to the Lord thi tithis, and firste fruytis. Thou schalt yyue to me the firste gendrid of thi sones;
30 You must dedicate your firstborn sons to me. Similarly, your firstborn [male] cattle and sheep belong to me. After those animals are born, allow them to stay with their mothers for seven days. On the eighth day, offer them to me [as a sacrifice].
also of oxen, and of scheep thou schalt do in lijk maner; seuene daies be he with his modir, in the eiytithe dai thou schalt yelde hym to me.
31 You are people who are (completely dedicated to/set apart for) me. [And I detest] the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Therefore you should not eat such meat. Instead, throw it where the dogs [can eat it].”
Ye schulen be holi men to me; ye schulen not ete fleisch which is bifore taastid of beestis, but ye schulen caste forth to houndis.

< Exodus 22 >