The Qumran Community · a new plain-English translation from the original language
he shall bear sin upon himself [...] And also, no man shall bring a matter against his fellow before the Many which is not with reproof before witnesses [...] in these
they shall walk in all their dwelling-places. Whatever is found between a man and his fellow [...] And the young shall obey the elder in matters of work and of property [...] and together they shall eat
and together they shall bless, and together they shall take counsel [...] And in every place where there are ten men of the council of the Community, a man shall not be lacking among them,
a priest [...] and each man shall sit before him according to his rank, and thus they shall be asked their counsel on every matter [...] And it shall be, when they arrange the table to eat, or the new wine
to drink, the priest shall stretch out his hand first, to bless the first portion of the bread or the new wine to drink, the priest shall stretch out his hand first,
to bless the first portion of the bread and the new wine. [...] And a man expounding the Law shall not be lacking in the place where the ten are, day and night,
continually, one relieving another in turn [...] And the Many shall keep watch together a third of all the nights of the year, to read in the Book and to study judgment
and to bless together. [...] This is the rule for the session of the Many. [...] Each man in his rank: the priests shall sit first, and the elders second, and the rest of
all the people shall sit each man in his rank. [...] And thus they shall be asked concerning judgment and concerning every counsel and matter that comes before the Many, so that each man may answer with his knowledge
to the council of the Community. [...] No man shall speak in the midst of the words of his fellow before his brother has finished speaking. [...] And also let him not speak before his rank, as it is written
before him. [...] The man who is questioned shall speak in his turn. [...] And in the session of the Many, no man shall speak any matter that is not to the liking of the Many. And if the man
is the Overseer of the Many, [...] and any man who has a matter to speak to the Many when it is not the turn of the man who is asking the counsel of
the Community, the man shall stand upon his feet and say, 'I have a matter to speak to the Many.' [...] If they tell him, he shall speak. And every man of Israel who volunteers
to be added to the council of the Community, the man appointed at the head of the Many shall examine him as to his understanding and his deeds. [...] And if he attains discipline, he shall bring him
into the covenant, to return to the truth and to turn aside from all iniquity, and he shall instruct him in all the judgments of the Community. [...] And afterward, when he comes to stand before the Many, they shall be questioned,
all of them, concerning his affairs. [...] And as the lot goes forth by the counsel of the Many, he shall be brought near or kept far. [...] And when he draws near to the council of the Community, he shall not touch the purity
of the Many until they examine him as to his spirit and his deeds, until a full year is completed for him. [...] And also he himself shall not mingle with the property of the Many. [...]
And when a year is completed for him within the Community, the Many shall inquire concerning his affairs, according to his understanding and his deeds in the Law. [...] And if the lot goes forth for him
to draw near to the council of the Community, according to the priests and the majority of the men of their covenant, they shall bring near also his property and his labor into the hand of the man
who is the Overseer of the labor of the Many, and he shall record it in an account by his own hand, and he shall not disburse it for the Many. [...] He shall not touch the drink of the Many until
a second year is completed for him among the men of the Community. [...] And when the second year is completed for him, he shall be examined according to the Many. [...] And if the lot goes forth for him
to bring him near to the Community, he shall be inscribed in the rule of his rank among his brothers, for the Law and for judgment and for purity and for the mingling of his property. [...] and his counsel shall belong
to the Community, and his judgment [...]
And these are the judgments by which they shall judge in the common inquiry, according to these matters. [...] If there is found among them a man who deals falsely
with property, and he knows it, he shall be separated from the midst of the purity of the Many for one year, and he shall be penalized a quarter of his bread. And whoever answers
his fellow with a stiff neck, speaking with a shortness of temper, to violate the foundation of his companion, against the word of his fellow that is written before him,
[aided] his hand him not [...] and he shall be fined and shall be punished [one] year [and] [separated] [...] [and] [whoever] mentions a matter by the Glorious Name concerning any [...]