Deuteronomy 24

Wycliffe Bible

24 If a man taketh a wife, and hath her, and she findeth not grace before his eyes for some vileness, or uncleanness, he shall write a little book of forsaking, and he shall give (it) in her hand, and he shall deliver her from his house. (When a man taketh a wife, and hath her, and she findeth not favour before him, because of some vileness, or uncleanness, in her, he shall write up a bill of divorce, and he shall give it to her, and he shall put her out of his house.)

² And when she goeth out from him, and weddeth another husband,

³ and he also hateth her, and giveth to her a little book of forsaking, and delivereth her from his house, either certainly he is dead, (and he also hateth her, and giveth her a bill of divorce, and putteth her out of his house, or if he should die,)

⁴ the former husband shall not be able to receive her again into wife, for she is defouled, and made abominable before the Lord (the first husband shall not be able to take her back again to be his wife, for she is defiled, and made abominable before the Lord); lest thou make thy land to do sin, which thy Lord God hath given thee to wield.

⁵ When a man hath taken (of) late a wife, he shall not go forth to battle, neither anything of the common needs shall be enjoined to him, but he shall give attention without blame to his house(hold), that he be glad in one year with his wife. (When a man hath recently taken a wife, he shall not go forth to battle, nor anything of the common needs shall be required from him, but he shall give attention to his family for one year without blame, so that he can be happy with his wife.)

⁶ Thou shalt not take instead of a wed the lower and the higher quernstone of thy brother, for he hath put his life to thee. (Thou shalt not take in place of a pledge the lower or the higher millstone of thy brother, for then he hath given thee his life, that is, his livelihood.)

⁷ If a man is taken, that is, convicted in doom, busily ambushing to steal his brother of the sons of Israel, and when he hath sold him, taketh price, he shall be slain; and thus thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee. (If a man hath kidnapped his brother, yea, one of the Israelites, and maketh him his slave, or selleth him into slavery, he shall be put to death; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.)

⁸ Keep thou diligently, lest thou run into the sickness of leprosy, but thou shalt do whatever things that the priests of the kin of Levi teach thee, by that that I commanded to them, and fulfill thou it diligently. (Be thou careful, when thou hast run into the sickness of leprosy, that thou do whatever the levitical priests tell thee to do, yea, what I have commanded to them, and which thou must obey in order to recover.)

⁹ Have ye mind what things your Lord God did to Marie, in the way, when ye went out of Egypt. (Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam, on the way, when ye went out of Egypt.)

¹⁰ When thou shalt ask of thy neighbour anything that he oweth to thee, thou shalt not enter into his house, that thou take away from him a wed; (When thou shalt ask thy neighbour for what he oweth thee, thou shalt not enter into his house, to take away a pledge from him;)

¹¹ but thou shalt stand withoutforth, and he shall bring forth to thee that that he hath.

¹² And if he is poor, his wed shall not abide by night with thee (his pledge shall not stay with thee all night),

¹³ but anon thou shalt yield his wed to him before the going down of the sun, that he sleep in his cloth, and bless thee, and thou have rightwiseness before thy Lord God. (but at once thou shalt yield his pledge back to him, yea, before the going down of the sun, so that he can sleep in his own cloak, and bless thee, and then thou shalt have righteousness before the Lord thy God.)

¹⁴ Thou shalt not deny the hire of thy brother (who is) needy and poor, either of the comeling that dwelleth with thee in thy land, and is within thy gates; (Thou shalt not withhold the wages of thy servant who is needy and poor, whether he be a fellow Israelite, or a newcomer who dwelleth with thee in thy land, within thy gates;)

¹⁵ but in the same day thou shalt yield to him the price of his travail, before the going down of the sun, for he is poor, and sustaineth thereof his life; lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reckoned to thee into sin. (but thou shalt yield to him the wages for his work on the same day, before the going down of the sun, for he is poor, and sustaineth his life with them; lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reckoned unto thee as a sin.)

¹⁶ The fathers shall not be slain for the sons, neither the sons for the fathers, but each man shall die for his own sin.

¹⁷ Thou shalt not waywardly turn, or mis-deem, the doom of the comeling, or of the fatherless, either motherless child; neither thou shalt take away instead of a wed the cloth of a widow. (Thou shalt not waywardly turn, or pervert, justice for the newcomer, or for the fatherless or the motherless child; nor shalt thou take away the cloak of a widow in place of a pledge.)

¹⁸ Have thou mind (Remember), that thou servedest in Egypt, and thy Lord God delivered thee from thence; therefore I command to thee that thou do this thing.

¹⁹ When thou reapest corn in thy field, and forgettest, and leavest a reap, thou shalt not turn again to take it, but thou shalt suffer that a comeling, and a fatherless, either motherless child, and a widow take it away, that thy Lord God bless thee in all the work of thine hands. (When thou reapest corn in thy field, and forgettest, and leavest a sheaf, thou shalt not return to get it, but thou shalt allow the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, to take it, so that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.)

²⁰ If thou gatherest the fruits of olives, whatever thing leaveth in the trees, thou shalt not turn again to gather it, but thou shalt leave it to a comeling, a fatherless, either motherless [child], and to a widow. (When thou gatherest the fruits of olives, whatever thing be left in the trees, thou shalt not return to gather it, but thou shalt leave it for the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow.)

²¹ If thou gatherest grapes of thy vinery, thou shalt not gather [the] raisins that leave, but those shall fall into the uses of the comeling, of the fatherless, either motherless [child], and of the widow. (When thou gatherest grapes from thy vineyard, thou shalt not gather the raisins that be left, but they shall be left for the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow.)

²² Have thou mind, that also thou servedest in Egypt (Remember, that thou were slaves in Egypt), and therefore I command to thee, that thou do this thing.