Liber Deuteronomii, 21

1. quando inventum fuerit in terra quam Dominus Deus tuus daturus est tibi hominis cadaver occisi et ignoratur cædis reus

1. 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 majores natu et judices tui et metientur a loco cadaveris singularum per circuitum spatia civitatum

2. 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 ejus tollent vitulam de armento quæ non traxit jugum nec terram scidit vomere

3. 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

4. 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 ejus et ad verbum eorum omne negotium et quicquid mundum vel inmundum est judicetur

5. 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 majores natu civitatis illius ad interfectum lavabuntque manus suas super vitulam quæ in valle percussa est

6. 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 hunc sanguinem nec oculi viderunt

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

8. propitius esto populo tuo Israël quem redemisti Domine et non reputes sanguinem innocentem in medio populi tui Israël et auferetur ab eis reatus sanguinis

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. introduces in domum tuam quæ radet cæsariem et circumcidet ungues

12. 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

13. 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. sin autem postea non sederit animo tuo dimittes eam liberam nec vendere poteris pecunia nec opprimere per potentiam quia humiliasti eam

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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 ejus et huic debentur primogenita

17. 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 cœrcitus obœdire contempserit

18. 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. adprehendent eum et ducent ad seniores civitatis illius et ad portam judicii

19. 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 comesationibus vacat et luxuriæ atque conviviis

20. 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 Israël audiens pertimescat

21. 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 adpensus fuerit in patibulo

22. 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 ejus 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

23. 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.