Marriage and Divorce Laws
(Matthew 5:31–32; Luke 16:18)

1When a man hath taken a wife and maried her, if she finde no fauour in his eyes, because he hath spyed some vncleannes in her: then let hym wryte her a byll of deuorcement, and put it in her hande, and sende her out of his house: 2And when she is departed out of his house, let her go and be another mans wyfe. 3And if the seconde husbande hate her, let him write her also a letter of deuorcement, and put it in her hande, and sende her out of his house: Or if the seconde man dye whiche toke her to wyfe, 4Her first man whiche sent her away, may not take her agayne to be his wyfe after that she is defiled: For that is abhomination in the sight of the Lorde, and thou shalt not cause the lande to sinne, whiche the Lorde thy God shall geue thee to inherite.

5When a man taketh a newe wyfe, he shall not go a warfare, neither shalbe charged with any businesse: but shalbe free at home one yere, and reioyce with his wyfe whiche he hath taken.

Additional Laws

6No man shall take the neather or the vpper mylstone to pledge: for then he shall hurt a mans life.

7If any man be founde stealing any of his brethren the chyldren of Israel, and abuseth hym, or selleth hym: the thiefe shall dye, and thou shalt put euill away from the middest of thee.

8Take heede to thy selfe as concerning the plague of leprosie, that thou obserue diligently, and ye shall do according to all that the priestes the Leuites shall teache you: euen as I commaunded them, so ye shall obserue to do. 9Remember what the Lorde thy God dyd vnto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come out of Egypt.

10When thou doest lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetche a pledge from thence: 11But shalt stande without, and the man that borowed it of thee, shall bring the pledge out of the doores vnto thee. 12Furthermore, if it be a poore body, thou shalt not sleepe with his pledge: 13But deliuer hym the pledge agayne when the sunne goeth downe, that he may sleepe in his owne raiment, & blesse thee: And it shalbe righteousnes vnto thee before the Lorde thy Lorde.

14Thou shalt not oppresse an hyred seruaunt that is needie and poore, whether he be of thy brethre, or of the straungers that are in thy lande within thy gates: 15But shalt geue him his hyre the same day, & let not the sunne go downe theron, for he is needie, and therwith sustayneth his life: lest he crye against thee vnto the Lorde, and it be sinne vnto thee.

16The fathers shall not be put to death for the chyldren, nor the chyldren for the fathers: but euery man shalbe put to death for his owne sinne.

17Thou shalt not peruert the ryght of the strauger, nor of the fatherlesse, nor take a wydowes rayment to pledge: 18But remember that thou wast a seruaunt in Egypt, and howe the Lorde thy God deliuered thee thence: And therfore I commaunde thee to do this thyng.

19When thou cuttest downe thyne haruest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheafe in the fielde, thou shalt not go agayne to set it: But it shalbe for the straunger, the fatherlesse, and the wydowe: that the Lorde thy God may blesse thee in all the workes of thyne hande. 20When thou beatest downe thine oliue tree, thou shalt not search ye boughes agayne, to gather vp that thou leftest behinde thee: but it shalbe for the strauger, the fatherlesse, and the wydowe.

21When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyarde, thou shalt not gather the grapes cleane after thee: but leaue them for the straunger, the fatherlesse, and the wydowe. 22And remember that thou also wast a seruaunt in the lande of Egypt: & therfore I comaunde thee to do this thing.