Deuteronomii 21

1 Quando inventum fuerit in terra, quam Dominus Deus tuus daturus est tibi, hominis cadaver occisi, et ignorabitur cædis reus,

Then there shall be found in the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee, the corpse of a man slain, and it is not known who is guilty of the murder,

2 egredientur maiores natu, et iudices tui, et metientur a loco cadaveris singularum per circuitum spatia civitatum:

Thy ancients and judges shall go out, and shall measure from the place where the body lieth the distance of every city round about:

3 et quam viciniorem ceteris esse perspexerint, seniores civitatis illius tollent vitulam de armento, quæ non traxit iugum, nec terram scidit vomere,

And the ancients of that city which they shall perceive to be nearer than the rest, shall take a heifer of the herd, that hath not drawn in the yoke, nor ploughed the ground,

4 et ducent eam ad vallem asperam atque saxosam, quæ numquam arata est, nec sementem recepit: et cædent in ea cervices vitulæ:

And they shall bring her into a rough and stony valley, that never was ploughed, nor sown: and there they shall strike off the head of the heifer:

5 accedentque sacerdotes filii Levi, quos elegerit Dominus Deus tuus ut ministrent ei, et benedicant in nomine eius, et ad verbum eorum omne negotium, et quidquid mundum, vel immundum est, iudicetur.

And the priests the sons of Levi shall come, whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and that by their word every matter should be decided, and whatsoever is clean or unclean should be judged.

6 Et venient maiores natu civitatis illius ad interfectum, lavabuntque manus suas super vitulam, quæ in valle percussa est,

And the ancients of that city shall come to the person slain, and shall wash their hands over the heifer that was killed in the valley,

7 et dicent: Manus nostræ non effuderunt sanguinem hunc, nec oculi viderunt.

And shall say: Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

8 Propitius esto populo tuo Israel, quem redemisti Domine, et ne reputes sanguinem innocentem in medio populi tui Israel. Et auferetur ab eis reatus sanguinis:

Be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and lay not innocent blood to their charge, in the midst of thy people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be taken from them:

9 tu autem alienus eris ab innocentis cruore, qui fusus est, cum feceris quod præcepit Dominus.

And thou shalt be free from the innocent’s blood, that was shed, when thou shalt have done what the Lord hath commanded thee.

10 Si egressus fueris ad pugnam contra inimicos tuos, et tradiderit eos Dominus Deus tuus in manu tua, captivosque duxeris,

If thou go out to fight against thy enemies, and the Lord thy God deliver them into thy hand, and thou lead them away captives,

11 et videris in numero captivorum mulierem pulchram, et adamaveris eam, voluerisque habere uxorem,

And seest in the number of the captives a beautiful woman, and lovest her, and wilt have her to wife,

12 introduces eam in domum tuam: quæ radet cæsariem, et circumcidet ungues,

Thou shalt bring her into thy house: and she shall shave her hair, and pare her nails,

13 et deponet vestem, in qua capta est: sedensque in domo tua, flebit patrem et matrem suam uno mense: et postea intrabis ad eam, dormiesque cum illa, et erit uxor tua.

And shall put off the raiment, wherein she was taken: and shall remain in thy house, and mourn for her father and mother one month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and shalt sleep with her, and she shall be thy wife.

14 Si autem postea non sederit animo tuo, dimittes eam liberam, nec vendere poteris pecunia, nec opprimere per potentiam: quia humiliasti eam.

Rut if afterwards she please thee not, thou shalt let her go free, but thou mayst not sell her for money nor oppress her by might because thou hast humbled her.

15 Si habuerit homo uxores duas, unam dilectam, et alteram odiosam, genuerintque ex eo liberos, et fuerit filius odiosæ primogenitus,

If a man have two wives, one beloved, and the other hated, and they have had children by him, and the son of the hated be the firstborn,

16 volueritque substantiam inter filios suos dividere: non poterit filium dilectæ facere primogenitum, et præferre filio odiosæ,

And he meaneth to divide his substance among his sons: he may not make the son of the beloved the firstborn, and prefer him before the son of the hated.

17 sed filium odiosæ agnoscet primogenitum, dabitque ei de his quæ habuerit cuncta duplicia: iste est enim principium liberorum eius, et huic debentur primogenita.

But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, and shall give him a double portion of all he hath: for this is the first of his children, and to him are due the first birthrights.

18 Si genuerit homo filium contumacem et protervum, qui non audiat patris aut matris imperium, et coercitus obedire contempserit:

If a man have a stubborn and unruly son, who will not hear the commandments of his father or mother, and being corrected, slighteth obedience:

19 apprehendent eum, et ducent ad seniores civitatis illius, et ad portam iudicii,

They shall take him and bring him to the ancients of his city, and to the gate of judgment,

20 dicentque ad eos: Filius noster iste protervus et contumax est, monita nostra audire contemnit, comessationibus vacat, et luxuriæ atque conviviis:

And shall say to them: This our son is rebellious and stubborn, he slighteth hearing our admonitions, he giveth himself to revelling, and to debauchery and banquetings:

21 lapidibus eum obruet populus civitatis: et morietur, ut auferatis malum de medio vestri, et universus Israel audiens pertimescat.

The people of the city shall stone him: and he shall die, that you may take away the evil out of the midst of you, and all Israel hearing it may be afraid.

22 Quando peccaverit homo quod morte plectendum est, et adiudicatus morti appensus fuerit in patibulo:

When a man hath committed a crime for which he is to be punished with death, and being condemned to die is hanged on a gibbet:

23 non permanebit cadaver eius in ligno, sed in eadem die sepelietur: quia maledictus a Deo est qui pendet in ligno: et nequaquam contaminabis Terram tuam, quam Dominus Deus tuus dederit tibi in possessionem.

His body shall not remain upon the tree, but shall be buried the same day: for he is accursed of God that hangeth on a tree: and thou shalt not defile thy land, which the Lord thy God shall give thee in possession.