Read the Bible

¹ 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 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 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 that thing that he staal, is foundun quyk at hym, ether oxe, ether asse, ether scheep, he schal restore the double.⁵ 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 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 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.<sup>8</sup> 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,<sup>9</sup> 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 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 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 That if it is takun awei bi thefte, he schal restore the harm to the lord;¹³ if it is etun of a beeste, he schal brynge to the lord that that is slayn, and he schal not restore.¹⁴ 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 he schal not restore, moost if it cam hirid, for the meede of his werk.

¹⁶ 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 If the fadir of the virgyn nyle yyue, he schal yelde money, bi the maner of dower, which virgyns weren wont to take.¹⁸ Thou schalt not suffre witchis to lyue.¹⁹ He that doith letcherie with a beeste, die by deeth.²⁰ He that offrith to goddis, out takun to the Lord aloone, be he slayn.²¹ Thou schalt not make sory a comelyng, nether thou schalt turmente hym; for also ye weren comelyngis in the lond of Egipt.²² Ye schulen not anoye a widewe, and a fadirles ethir modirles child.²³ If ye hirten hem, thei schulen crye to me, and Y schal here the cry of hem,²⁴ 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 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 thou takist of thi neiybore `a wed a clooth, thou schalt yelde to hym bifore the goyng doun of the sunne;²⁷ 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 Thou schalt not bacbyte goddis, and thou schalt not curse the prince of thi puple.²⁹ 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 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 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.