CHAPTER 22
1 If any man stealeth a sheep, or ox, and slayeth, or selleth, he shall restore five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one sheep.
2 And if a night thief breaking into an house, either undermining, is found, and he taken is dead by a wound, or hurt, the smiter shall not be guilty of his blood, or death;
3 that if he did this when the sun was risen, he did manslaying, and he shall die. If a thief have not that, that he shall yield for [the] theft, he shall be sold;
4 if that thing that he stole, is found quick at him, either ox, either ass, either sheep, he shall restore the double.
5 If a man harmeth a field, or a vinery [or vineyard], and suffereth his beast, that it waste other men’s things, he shall restore for the value of [the] harm, the best things what-ever he hath in his field, either in his vinery [or vineyard].
6 If fire goeth out, and findeth, or burneth, ears of corn, and catcheth heaps of corn, or corns standing in fields, he that kindled the fire shall yield the harm.
7 If a man betaketh into keeping money to a friend, or a vessel, and it is taken away by theft from him that received it, if the thief is found, he shall restore the double.
8 If the thief is hid, or unknown, the lord of the house that received that good shall be brought to the gods, that is, to judges, and he shall swear, that he held not forth his hand into his neighbour’s thing, to defraud;
9 as well in ox, as in ass, and in sheep, and in clothes; and in what-ever thing may bring in harm, the cause of ever either shall come to the judges, and if they deem him guilty, he shall restore the double to his neighbour.
10 If any man betaketh to his neighbour ox, ass, sheep, and all work beast to keeping, and it is dead, or is made feeble, or is taken of enemies, and no man seeth this,
11 an oath shall be in the midst, that he held not forth his hand to the impairing of his neighbour’s thing; and the lord that owned that good shall receive his oath, and he to whom it was taken shall not be compelled to yield, or restore it.
12 That if it is taken away by theft, he shall restore the harm to the lord;
13 if it is eaten of a beast, he shall bring to the lord that that is slain, and he shall not restore it otherwise.
14 He that asketh of his neighbour anything of these foresaid things by borrowing, and it is enfeebled, either dead, while the lord thereof is not present, he shall be constrained to yield it;
15 that if the lord is in presence, he shall not restore it, mostly if it came hired, that is, if to hire he took it, for meed of his work.
16 If a man deceiveth a virgin not yet wedded, and sleepeth with her, he shall give dower to her, and shall have her to wife.
17 If the father of the virgin will not give her to him, he shall give money, by the manner of dower, which virgins were wont to take.
18 Thou shalt not suffer witches to live.
19 He that doeth lechery with a beast, die he by death.
20 He that offereth to gods, except to the Lord alone, be he slain.
21 Thou shalt not make sorrowful a comeling, neither thou shalt torment him; for also ye were comelings in the land of Egypt.
22 Ye shall not harm a widow, and a fatherless or a motherless child.
23 If ye hurt them, they shall cry to me, and I shall hear the cry of them,
24 and my great vengeance shall have indignation on you, and I shall smite you with sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your sons shall be fatherless.
25 If thou givest money to loan to my poor people, that dwelleth with thee, thou shalt not constrain him as an extortioner doeth, neither thou shalt oppress him by usuries.
26 If thou takest of thy neighbour a cloth to wed or a cloak for a pledge, thou shalt yield it to him before the going down of the sun;
27 for that alone is the clothing of his flesh, with which he is covered, neither he hath another, in which he shall sleep; if he crieth to me, I shall hear him; for I am merciful.
28 Thou shalt not backbite [the] gods, that is, priests, or judges, and thou shalt not curse the prince of thy people.
29 Thou shalt not tarry to offer to the Lord thy tithes, and thy first fruits. Thou shalt give to me the first begotten of thy sons;
30 also of [thine] oxen, and of sheep, thou shalt do in like manner; seven days be he with his mother, in the eighth day thou shalt yield him to me.
31 Ye shall be holy men to me; ye shall not eat the flesh that is before-tasted of beasts, but ye shall cast it forth to hounds.