Deuteronomy 24

1 Diuorcement is permitted 5 He that is newly maried is exempted from warre. 6 Of the pledge. 14 Wages muſt not be reteined. 16 The good muſt not be puniſhed for the bad 17 The care of the ſtranger, fatherles and widowe.
1.WHen a mã taketh a wife, and marieth her, if ſo be ſhe finde no fauour in his eyes, becauſe he hathe eſpied ſome filthines in her, then let him write her a bil of diuorcemẽt, and put it in her hand, and ſend her out of his houſe.
2.And whẽ ſhe is departed out of his houſe, and gone her way, and mary with an other man,
3.And if the later houſband hate her, and write her a letter of diuorcement, and put it in her hãd, and ſend her out of his houſe, or if the later man dye which toke her to wife:
4.Then her firſt houſband, which ſent her away, may not take her againe to be his wife, after that ſhe is defiled: for that is abominacion in the ſight of the Lord, and thou ſhalt not cauſe ye lãd to ſinne, which ye Lord thy God doeth giue thee to inherit.
5.¶ When a man taketh a newe wife, he ſhal not go a warfare, nether ſhalbe charged with anie buſines, but ſhalbe fre at home one yere, and reioyce with his wife which he hathe taken.
6.¶ No man ſhal take the nether nor ye vpper milſtone to pledge: for this gage is his liuing.
7.¶ If anie man be found ſtealing anie of his brethren of the childrẽ of Iſraél, and maketh marchãdiſe of him, or ſelleth him, that thefe ſhal dye: ſo ſhalt thou put euil away from among you.
8.¶ Take hede of the plague of leproſie, that thou obſerue diligently, & do according to all that the Prieſts of the Leuites ſhal teache you: take hede ye do as I commanded them.
9.Remember what the Lord thy God did vnto Miriám by the way after that ye were come out of Egypt.
10.¶ When yu ſhalt aſke againe of thy neigh bour anie thing lent, thou ſhalt not go into his houſe to fet his pledge.
11.But thou ſhalt ſtand without, and the mã that borowed it of thee, ſhal bring ye pledge out of the dores vnto thee.
12.Furthermore if it be a poore bodie, thou ſhalt not ſlepe with his pledge,
13.But ſhalt reſtore him the pledge when ye ſunne goeth downe, yt he may ſlepe in his rayment, & bleſſe thee: & it ſhalbe righteouſnes vnto thee, before ye Lord thy God.
14.¶ Thou ſhalt not oppreſſe an hired ſeruant that is nedy and poore, nether of thy brethren, nor of the ſtranger that is in thy land within thy gates.
15.Thou ſhalt giue him his hire for his day, nether ſhal the ſunne go downe vpon it: for he is poore, & therewith ſuſteineth his life: leſt he crye againſt thee vnto the Lord, and it be ſinne vnto thee.
16.The fathers ſhal not be put to death for the children, nor the children put to death for the fathers, but euerie man ſhalbe put to death for his owne ſinne.
17.¶ Thou ſhalt not peruert the right of the ſtranger, nor of the fatherles, nor take a widowes raiment to pledge.
18.But remember that thou waſt a ſeruant in Egypt, & how the Lord thy God deliuered thee thence: therefore I commande thee to do this thing.
19.When yu cutteſt downe thine harueſt in thy field, & haſt forgotten a ſheafe in the field, thou ſhalt not go againe to fet it, but it ſhalbe for the ſtranger, for the fatherles, for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bleſſe thee in all the workes of thine hands.
20.Whẽ thou beateſt thine oliue tre, thou ſhalt not go ouer the boughes againe, but it ſhalbe for the ſtranger, for ye fatherles, and for the widow.
21.When thou gathereſt thy vineyard, thou ſhalt not gather the grapes cleane after thee, but thei ſhalbe for the ſtranger, for the fatherles and for the widow.
22.And remember that thou waſt a ſeruãt in the land of Egypt: therefore I cõmãde thee to do this thing.

Notes

1:a.
Hereby God approueth not that light diuorcemẽt, but permitteth it to auoide further inconuenience, Matth. 19,7.
4:b.
Seing that by dimitting her, he iudged her to be vncleane and defiled
5:c.
That they might learne to knowe one anothers conditions and so afterward liue in godly peace
6:d.
Nor anie thīg, whereby a man getteth his liuing.
8:*.
Leui 13,8.
9:*.
Num.12,10.
10:e.
As thogh y woldeſt appoint what to receiue what he may ſpare.
13:f.
Thogh he wolde be vnthãkful, yet God wil not forget it.
15:*.
Leui.19,13. tob.4,15.
16:*.
2 King 14,6. 2 chro 25,4. iere 31,29. ezech 18,20.
17:g.
Becauſe the world did leaſt eſteme theſe ſortes of people, therefore God hathe moſte care ouer them.
19:*.
Leu 19 9. & 23,22.
20:".
Or, gathereſt thine oliues.
21:".
Or, the grapes of thy vineyard
22:h.
God judged the not mindeful of his benefite, except they were beneficial vnto others.