1. IF THERE is a controversy between men, and they come into court and the judges decide between them, justifying the innocent and condemning the guilty,
2. Then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a certain number of stripes according to his offense.
3. Forty stripes may be given him but not more, lest, if he should be beaten with many stripes, your brother should [be treated like a beast and] seem low and worthless to you.