of what you have; and this whether they be of your own
country or strangers,--as being glad of the opportunity of giving them
some part of your fruits when they are ripe; but let it not be esteemed
lawful for them to carry any away. Nor let those that gather the grapes,
and carry them to the wine-presses, restrain those whom they meet from
eating of them; for it is unjust, out of envy, to hinder those that
desire it, to partake of the good things that come into the world
according to God's will, and this while the season is at the height, and
is hastening away as it pleases God. Nay, if some, out of bashfulness,
are unwilling to touch these fruits, let them be encouraged to take of
them [I mean, those that are Israelites] as if they were themselves the
owners and lords, on account of the kindred there is between them. Nay,
let them desire men that come from other countries, to partake of these
tokens of friendship which God has given in their proper season; for
that is not to be deemed as idly spent, which any one out of kindness
communicates to another, since God bestows plenty of good things on
men, not only for themselves to reap the advantage, but also to give
to others in a way of generosity; and he is desirous, by this means, to
make known to others his peculiar kindness to the people of Israel,
and how freely he communicates happiness to them, while they abundantly
communicate out of their great superfluities to even these foreigners
also. But for him that acts contrary to this law, let him be beaten with
forty stripes save one [22] by the public executioner; let him undergo
this punishment, which is a most ignominious one for a free-man, and
this because he was such a slave to gain as to lay a blot upon his
dignity; for it is proper for you who have had the experience of the
afflictions in Egypt, and of those in the wilderness, to make provision
for those that are in the like circumstances; and while you have now
obtained plenty yourselves, through the mercy and providence of God, to
distribute of the same plenty, by the like sympathy, to such as stand in
need of it.

22. Besides those two tithes, which I have already said you are to pay
every year, the one for the Levites, the other for the festivals, you
are to bring every third year a third tithe to be distributed to those
that want; [23] to women also that are widows, and to children that are
orphans. But as to the ripe fruits, let them carry that which is r