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.

“If a man takes a wife, and he has her, and she does not find favor before his eyes because of some vileness, then he shall write a bill of divorce, and he shall give it to her hand, and he shall dismiss her from his house.

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

And when, having departed, she has married another,

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 if he likewise hates her, and has given her a bill of divorce, and has dismissed her from his house, or if indeed he has died,

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.

then the former husband cannot take her back as a wife. For she has been polluted and has become abominable in the sight of the Lord. Otherwise, you may cause your land, which the Lord your God will deliver to you as a possession, to sin.

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.

When a man has recently taken a wife, he shall not go out to war, nor shall any public office be enjoined upon him. Instead, he shall be free at home without guilt, so that for one year he may rejoice with his wife.

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.

You shall not accept an upper or lower millstone as collateral. For then he will have placed his life with you.

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.

If a man has been caught soliciting his brother among the sons of Israel, and selling him in order to receive a price, then he shall be put to death. And so shall you take away the evil from your midst.

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.

Observe diligently, lest you incur the wound of leprosy. But you shall do whatever the priests of the Levitical stock shall teach you to do, according to what I have instructed them. And you shall fulfill it carefully.

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

Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam, along the way, as you were departing from 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;

When you require from your neighbor anything that he owes to you, you shall not enter into his house in order to take away the collateral.

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

Instead, you shall stand outside, and he will carry out to you what he has.

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

But if he is poor, then the collateral shall not remain with you through the night.

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.

Instead, you shall return it to him promptly, before the setting of the sun, so that, sleeping in his own garment, he may bless you, and you may have justice in the presence of the Lord your 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;

You shall not refuse the pay of the indigent and the poor, whether he is your brother, or he is a new arrival who dwells with you in the land and is within your gates.

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.

Instead, you shall pay him the price of his labor on the same day, before the setting of the sun. For he is poor, and with it he sustains his life. Otherwise, he may cry out against you to the Lord, and it would be charged to you as a sin.

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 on behalf of the sons, nor the sons on behalf of the fathers, but each one shall die 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.

You shall not pervert the judgment of the new arrival or the orphan, nor shall you take away the widow’s garment as collateral.

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.

Remember that you served in Egypt, and that the Lord your God rescued you from there. Therefore, I am instructing you to act in this way.

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.

When you have reaped the grain in your field, and, having forgotten, you leave behind a sheaf, you shall not return to take it away. Instead, you shall permit the new arrival, and the orphan, and the widow to take it away, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the works of your 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.

If you have gathered the fruit of your olive trees, you shall not return in order to gather whatever may remain on the trees. Instead, you shall leave it behind for the new arrival, the orphan, and the widow.

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.

If you harvest the vintage of your vineyard, you shall not gather the remaining clusters. Instead, they shall fall to the use of the stranger, 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.

Remember that you also served in Egypt, and so, for this reason, I am instructing you to act in this way.”