Deuteronomy 22
Wycliffe's Bible
1Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox, either sheep, erring, and shalt pass thereby, but thou shalt bring it again to thy brother. (Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox, or sheep, go astray, and pass by it, but thou shalt bring it back to thy brother, that is, thy kinsman.) 2And if thy brother is not nigh, neither thou knowest him, thou shalt lead those beasts into thine house (thou shalt bring those beasts back to thy house), and those shall be with thee, as long as thy brother seeketh them, and till he receive them (back again). 3In like manner thou shalt do of thy brother’s ass, and of his cloth, and of each thing of thy brother, that was lost; if thou findest it, be thou not negligent, as of an alien thing. (In like manner thou shalt do with thy brother’s donkey, and his cloak, and with anything else of thy brother’s, that was lost; if thou findest it, be thou not negligent, that is, do not just pass by it.) 4If thou seest that the ass, either the ox, of thy brother hath fallen in the way, thou shalt not despise (it), but thou shalt raise (it up) with him. (If thou seest that thy brother’s donkey, or his ox, hath fallen down along the way, thou shalt not just ignore it, but thou shalt help him lift it up again.)

5A woman shall not be clothed in a man’s cloak, neither a man shall use a woman’s cloak; for he that doeth these things is abominable before God.

6If thou goest in the way, and findest a bird’s nest in a tree, either in the earth, and findest the mother sitting on the birds, either [the] eggs, thou shalt not hold the mother with the children, (If thou goest on the way, and findest a bird’s nest in a tree, or on the ground, and findest the mother bird sitting on her young, or the eggs, thou shalt not take hold of both the mother bird and her children,) 7but thou shalt suffer the mother [to] go, and shalt hold the sons taken, that it be well to thee, and that thou live in long time. (but thou shalt allow the mother bird to go free, and shalt only take her children, so that it be well with thee, and that thou live a long time.)

8When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a wall of the roof by compass, lest blood be shed out in thine house, and thou be guilty, if another man slideth (off), and falleth into a ditch. (When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a wall all around the roof, lest blood be shed out on thy house, and thou be guilty, if someone slideth off, and falleth into a ditch.)

9Thou shalt not sow thy vinery with another seed, lest both the seed which thou hast sown, and those things that come forth of the vinery, that is, the fruit of the vinery, be defouled together. (Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with another seed, lest both the seed which thou hast sown, and those things that come forth of the vineyard, that is, the fruit of the vineyard, be defiled.)

10Thou shalt not ear with an ox and an ass together. (Thou shalt not plow with an ox and a donkey together.)

11Thou shalt not be clothed in a cloth, which is woven together of wool and of flax. (Thou shalt not be clothed in a cloak, which is woven with wool and flax together.)

12Thou shalt make little cords by four corners in the hems of thy mantle, with which thou art covered. (Thou shalt put tassels on the four corners of the hem of thy mantle, with which thou art covered.)

13If a man weddeth a wife, and afterward hateth her, 14and seeketh occasions by which he may leave her, and he putteth against her the worst name, and saith, I have taken this wife, and I have entered to her, and I found not her a virgin (and I did not find her a virgin); 15(then) the father and mother of her shall take her, and they shall bear with them the tokens of her virginity to the elder men of the city, that be in the gate (who be at the gate); 16and her father shall say, I gave my daughter (for a) wife to this man, and for (that) he hateth her, 17he putteth to her the worst name, that he saith, I found not thy daughter a virgin (he hath put on her the worst name, for he saith, I did not find thy daughter to be a virgin); and lo! these be the tokens of the virginity of my daughter; (and) they shall spread forth a cloth before the elder men of the city. 18And the elder men of that city shall take the man, and shall beat him, 19and furthermore they shall condemn him in an hundred shekels of silver, which he shall give to the father of the damsel, for he defamed her by the worst name that may be upon a virgin of Israel; and he shall have her to wife, and he shall not be able to forsake her, in all his lifetime. (and furthermore they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, which he shall give to the young woman’s father, for he defamed her with the worst name that can be put on a virgin of Israel; and he shall have her for his wife, and he shall not be able to divorce her, all the days of his life.)

20That if it is found sooth, that (that) he putteth against her, and virginity is not found in the damsel, (But if what he hath put against her is found to be true, and no proof of the young woman’s virginity is found,) 21they shall cast her out of her father’s gates; and men of that city shall oppress her with stones, and she shall die, for she did [an] unleaveful thing in Israel, that she did lechery in her father’s house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee. (then they shall bring her to the door of her father’s house; and men of that city shall kill her with stones, and she shall die, for she did an unlawful thing in Israel, she did lechery in her father’s house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.)

22If a man sleepeth with the wife of another man, ever either shall die, that is, the adulterer, and the adulteress; and thus thou shalt do away evil from Israel.

23If a man espouseth a damsel (who is a) virgin, and another man findeth her in the city, and doeth lechery with her, 24thou shalt lead ever either to the gate of that city, and they shall be killed with stones (and both of them shall be killed with stones); the damsel shall be stoned, for she cried not, when she was in the city; the man shall be stoned, for he defouled his neighbour’s wife; and thus thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.

25But if a man findeth in the field a damsel, which is espoused (who is espoused), and he taketh (hold of) her, and doeth lechery with her, he alone shall die; 26the damsel shall suffer nothing of evil, neither is guilty of death; for as a thief riseth against his brother, and slayeth him, so and the damsel suffered; (the young woman shall not suffer any punishment, nor is she guilty of anything deserving of death; for like a thief riseth against his brother, or his kinsman, and killeth him, so this young woman also hath suffered;) 27she was alone in the field, she cried, and none was present, that should deliver her. (for she was alone in the field, and she cried, but no one was present, who could save her.)

28If a man findeth a damsel (who is a) virgin, that hath no spouse, and taketh, and doeth lechery with her, and the thing cometh to the doom, (If a man findeth a young woman who is a virgin, who hath no spouse, and he taketh hold of her, and doeth lechery with her, and the thing cometh to be known,) 29he that slept with her shall give to the father of the damsel fifty shekels of silver, and he shall have her to wife, for he made her low; he shall not be able to forsake her, in all the days of his life. (he who slept with her shall give the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and he shall have her for his wife, for he made her low; he shall not be able to divorce her, all the days of his life.)

30A man shall not take his father’s wife, neither he shall show her private(s).

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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