A Treatise on the Special Laws, Which Are Referred to Three Articles of the Decalogue, Namely the Third, Fourth, and Fifth About Oaths, and the Rever

 I. (1) In the treatise preceding this one we have discussed with accuracy two articles of the ten commandments, that which relates to not thinking tha

 II. (6) And some men display such easiness and indifference on the subject, that, passing over all created things, they dare in their ordinary convers

 III. (9) But if any one being compelled to swear, swears by anything whatever in a manner which the law does not forbid, let him exert himself with al

 IV. And in this description of oaths those most lawful vows are included which are offered up in consequence of an abundance of blessings, either pres

 V. (18) But there are other persons, also, boastful, puffed up with pride and arrogance, who, being insatiably greedy of glory, are determined to obey

 VI. (24) But the law takes away from virgins and from married women the power of making vows independently, pronouncing the parents of the one class,

 VII. (29) These then are the ordinances contained in the express language of these commandments but there is also an allegorical meaning concealed be

 VIII. (32) But in the case of those persons who have vowed not merely their own property or some part of it, but also their own selves, the law has af

 IX. (35) These are the ordinances established in respect of men, but about animals the following commands are given. If any one shall set apart any be

 X. (39) The next commandment is that concerning the sacred seventh day, in which are comprehended an infinite number of most important festivals. For

 XI. (41) Now there are ten festivals in number, as the law sets them down.

 XII. (42) The law sets down every day as a festival, adapting itself to an irreproachable life, as if men continually obeyed nature and her injunction

 XIII. (46) Being, therefore, full of all kinds of excellence, and being accustomed to disregard all those good things which affect the body and extern

 XIV. (49) Wherefore, if truth were to be the judge, no wicked or worthless man can pass a time of festival, no not even for the briefest period, inasm

 XV. (56) But after this continued and uninterrupted festival which thus lasts through all time, there is another celebrated, namely, that of the sacre

 XVI. (65) It is forbidden also on this day to kindle a fire, as being the beginning and seed of all the business of life since without fire it is not

 XVII. (71) And Moses thinks the number seven worthy of such reverence that even all other things which at all partake of it are honoured by him at al

 XVIII. (79) After having given these commandments, Moses proceeds in regular order to establish a law full of all gentleness and humanity. If, says

 XIX. (86) In the next place Moses commands the people to leave the land fallow and untilled every seventh year, for many reasons [Le 25:4.] first of

 XX. (96) Then, O you most worthless of all men! I would say to them, have you not first learnt what you are now teaching? or do you know how to invite

 XXI. (104) And the lawgiver, who is a prophetic spirit, gave us our laws, having a regard to these things, and proclaimed a holiday to the whole count

 XXII. (110) Having laid down these principles as a kind of foundation of gentleness and humanity, he then puts together seven sevens of years, and so

 XXIII. (116) These are the commandments which are given with respect to the divisions of the land and the inheritances so portioned out. There are oth

 XXIV. (120) And concerning the tribe which was set apart as consecrated for the priesthood, the following laws are established. The law did not bestow

 XXV. (122) But the laws established with respect to those who owed money to usurers, and to those who had become servants to masters, resemble those a

 XXVI. (140) Following the order which we have adopted, we proceed to speak of the third festival, that of the new moon. First of all, because it is th

 XXVII. (145) And after the feast of the new moon comes the fourth festival, that of the passover, which the Hebrews call pascha, on which the whole pe

 XXVIII. (150) And there is another festival combined with the feast of the passover, having a use of food different from the usual one, and not custom

 XXIX. (162) There is also a festival on the day of the paschal feast, which succeeds the first day, and this is named the sheaf, from what takes place

 XXX. (176) The solemn assembly on the occasion of the festival of the sheaf having such great privileges, is the prelude to another festival of still

 XXXI. (188) Immediately after comes the festival of the sacred moon in which it is the custom to play the trumpet in the temple at the same moment th

 XXXII. (193) And after the feast of trumpets the solemnity of the fast is celebrated, [part of sections 193�194 was omitted in Yonge's translation bec

 XXXIII. (204) The last of all the annual festivals is that which is called the feast of tabernacles, which is fixed for the season of the autumnal equ

 XXXIV. (215) There is, besides all these, another Festival[De 26:1.] sacred to God, and a solemn assembly on the day of the festival which they call c

 XXXV. (216) Nevertheless, any one may easily see that it has about it some of the characteristics of a sacred festival, and that it comes very near to

 XXXVI. (220) This hymn is sung from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn, by two choruses replying to one another uninterruptedly, on two sepa

 XXXVII. (223) I have now said thus much respecting the number seven, and the things referring to it among the days, and the months, and the years and

 XXXVIII. (224) Having already spoken of four commandments which, both as to the order in which they are placed and as to their importance, are truly t

 XXXIX. (226) And this is not the only reason why a man's father and mother are deserving of honour, but here are also several other reasons. For among

 XL. (228) I affirm, therefore, that that which produces is always older than that which is produced, and that that which causes anything is older than

 XLI. (232) For these reasons it is allowable for parents even to accuse their children, and to reprove them with considerable severity, and even, if t

 XLII. (234) Since this, then, is the case, those who do honour their parents are not doing anything worthy of praise, since even any single one of the

 XLIII. (237) And any one may conjecture that pious respect is due to parents, not only from what has been said above, but also from the manner in whic

 XLIV. (242) I have now then gone through all the five heads of laws in the first table, and have noticed also all the particular points which had any

 XLV. (249) Again, let the man who has profaned the sacred seventh day as far as it may have lain in his power, be liable to the punishment of death. F

 XLVI. (252) Against those who call God as a witness in favour of assertions which are not true, the punishment of death is ordained in the law [De 19

 XLVII. (257) We have now then mentioned the punishments which are ordained against those who neglect the five commandments. But the rewards which are

 XLVIII. (260) Again, those who properly keep the sacred sabbath are benefited in two most important particulars, both body and soul as to their body,

IX. (35) These are the ordinances established in respect of men, but about animals the following commands are given. If any one shall set apart any beast; if it be a clean beast of any one of the three classes which are appropriate to sacrifice, such as an ox, or a sheep, or a goat, he shall surely sacrifice it, not substituting either a worse animal for a better, or a better for a worse. For God does not take delight in the fleshiness of fatness of animals, but in the blameless disposition of the man who has vowed it. But if he should make a substitution, then he must sacrifice two instead of one; both the one which he had originally vowed, and the one which he wished to substitute for it. (36) But if any one vows one of the unclean animals, let him bring it to the most venerable of the priests; and let him value it, not exaggerating its price, but adding to its exact value one-fifth, in order that if it should be necessary to sacrifice an animal that is clean instead of it, the sacrifice may not fall short of its proper value. And this is ordained also for the sake of causing the man who has vowed it to feel grieved at having made an inconsiderate vow, having vowed an animal which is not clean, looking upon it, in my opinion, for the moment as clean, being led away by error of mind through some passion. (37) And if the thing which he has vowed be his house, again he must have the priest for a valuer. But those who may chance to buy it shall not pay an equal ransom for it; but if the man who has vowed it chooses to ransom it, he shall pay its price and a fifth besides, punishing his own rashness and impetuous desire for his two faults, his rashness for making the vow, and his impetuous desire for wishing for things back again which he had before abandoned. But if any one else brings it he shall not pay more than its value. (38) And let not the man who has made the vow make any long delay either in the accomplishment of his vow or in procuring a proper valuation to be made of it. For it is absurd to attempt to make strict covenants with men, but to look upon agreements made with God who has no need of any thing, and who has no deficiency of any thing as unnecessary to be observed, while those who do so are by their delays and slowness convicting themselves of the greatest of offences, namely, of a neglect of him whose service they ought to look upon as the beginning and end of all happiness. This is enough to say of oaths and Vows.[yonge's translation includes a separate treatise title at this point: On the Number Seven. His next division begins and ends with roman numeral I (= X in the Loeb). The publisher has elected to follow the Loeb numbering.]