רבי ישמעאל אומר. זו בצד זו – and all the more so, one on top of two which is the essence of Merkulis/Mercury/Hermes. [Merkulis is the name of idolatry that is called in their languages, Merkuris.]

בצד מרקוליס – at the side four cubits of Merkulis, meaning to say, that the stones are four cubits distant from Merkulis and it is known and that they did not fall from him, and on this, Rabbi Yishmael states that three stones are prohibited for Merkulis is not less than three stones and they make a small Merkulis at the side of a large Merkulis and a small one made at the side of a large one, they worship it with anything and we should not suspect that there will be one [stone] on top of two [stones]. But the Rabbis hold that we do not make a small Merkulis at the side of a large Merkulis. Therefore, it appears with it, meaning to say, next to it, for one can say that it fell from it. Whether two [stones] or three [stones], it is forbidden. If it is not seen with it, it is permitted. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.

מצא בראשו – of Merkulis.

מעות כסות או כלים מהרין אלו מותרין – and this as long as they are not placed for adornment [such as, for example], that the monies were placed in a pouch tied and suspended from it on its neck. Folded clothing folded up and placed on its shoulder, or on its head. Utensils also placed on its head, and wall of these are not in the manner of adornment.

שלא בטובה – that he should raise a salary for the [idolatrous] priests.

ע"ז של נכרי אסורה מיד – as it is written (Deuteronomy 7:25): “[You shall consign] the images of their gods [to the fire], for once it has been declared unfit, it becomes for him a god.

ושל ישראל עד שתעבד – as it is written (Deuteronomy 27:15): “[Cursed be anyone who makes a sculptured or molten image, abhorred by the LORD, a craftsman’s handiwork,] and sets it up in secret,” until he does for it secretive things, meaning to say, that he worships it, for an Israelite does not serve idolatry other than in secret, because he is afraid of the Jewish court.

נכרי מבטל ע"ז שלו – as it is written (Deuteronomy 7:25): “You shall consign the images of their gods to the fire,” when they practice regarding them the custom of godliness, but if he annulled it, they are permitted.

ושל ישראל – when he has regarding it a partnership, and the Halakha is not like this. For an idolater cannot annul [the sanctity of] the idolatry of an Israelite even when he has a partnership with him in it.

אינו מבטל ע"ז של נכרי – and even if the heathen gave him permission [to do so].

פחסה – [if he smashed it] in its face. If he crushed it with a mallet until he removed the shape of the face.

גררה – dragged and cast within the mud.

אינה בטלה – for according to the hour, he got hot regarding it and he retracted and worshipped it.

רבי אומר בטלה – there is a dispute between Rabbi [Judah the Prince] and the Sages when he sold it to an idolater, but if he sold it to an Israelite goldsmith/smelter, according to all, it is annulled and the Halakha is according to the Sages.

שהניחוה עובדיה – and it wasn’t their intention to return.

בשעת שלום מותרת – since they left knowingly and did not take it with them, they annulled/destroyed it.

בימוסיות של מלכים – hewn stones that were prepared for the procession of the king and when the king passes through the, they set up idolatry there and he worships it. And in the Gemara (Talmud Avodah Zarah 53b) explains because they leave it, meaning to say, they are not designated to establish there idolatry every hour but rather at the time when the kings pass, and sometimes the kings pass through another road and we don’t suspect them. Therefore, it is not considered to be the usages of idolatry.

אף אנו מחזיקים ידיהם של אלו – those who worship the sun and/or the moon, if they would see that the rest of idolatry had been destroyed of its own and these exist, they would give thanks to those.

גת בעוטה – that the idolater had trampled and stamped.

אע"פ שהוא נוטל בידו – grapes from the wine and place them on the pile (i.e., the place on the altar where the ashes are piled up), the place of the gathering of the grapes that is made like a heap that is called תפוח/grape-heap, and our Tanna/teacher holds that it does not become libation wine until it flows down to the cistern and according to the hour, he becomes excited and returns and worships it. But this is the earliest version of the Mishnah and it is not Halakha, but rather, since the wine began to be drawn, it became libation wine.

מה שבבור אסור – if an idolater would come in contact with it afterwards.

דורכין עם העכו"ם בגת – and we don’t say that he is making a living with what is prohibited from deriving benefit, for this Tanna/thinks [that even] with drinking, it is permitted as long as he doesn’t go down into the cistern. But there isn’t anything concerning causing ritual defilement for from the time when the idolater treads upon them [a little bit], they were ritually defiled, so it is found that the Israelite did not cause the ritual defilement.

אבל לא בוצרין עמו – because he places them into a ritually impure vat for wine pressing. For the idolater defiles the grapes through his contact and the Israelite who cuts with him causes ritual defilement. But this Tanna/teacher holds that it is forbidden to cause ritual defilement for non-holy produce that is in the Land of Israel, even if they belong to the idolater. But the Halakha is not according to this Mishnah for we hold that since the wine began to be drawn, it became libation wine, therefore, we do not tread with the idolater in the vat for wine pressing. And we hold that it is permissible to cause ritual from produce, there is nothing in this. But however, an Israelite who harvests his vineyard ab initio, the idolater should not take with him, even to bring the grapes to the vat, because we say, “go around Nazirite, etc. (that you may not come near the vineyard” – see Numbers Rabbah 6:10).

וישראל העושה פירותיו בטומאה – he commits a sin because he defiles the Priest’s Due and Tithes that are within them. Therefore, it is forbidden to assist him in order that he become accustomed to this.

אבל מוליכין עמו – an empty barrel to the vat, and he brings it with him filled barrels from the winepress, for what has happened has happened for after they have been ritually defiled, it is permissible to put the wine in impure barrels.

אם יש עליו [מלוה] אסור – if he has towards him a lien on the wine, it is prohibited, for this wine is mortgaged to him in his liability, so it is like his money and he came in contact with it to see how it is.

נפל – the idolater [fell] into the cistern filled with wine.

ועלה – dead, even though he came in contact with it at the time that he fell in, he (i.e., the Jew) is not prohibited to benefit since he did not intend to come in contact with it, but uf he came up alive, through his ascending he makes it forbidden, because he admits to idolatry on that he was saved.

ומודדו בקנה – or that the idolater measures the wine of the Israelite with a reed.

והתיז – or the idolater flipped out the hornet from the wine of the Israelite through a reed and did not actually make contact with the wine with his hand.

המורתחת – the barrel was rising with heat and the idolater slapped it with his hand on the foaming – this is not the manner of libations.

רבי שמעון מתיר – but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

זה היה מעשה והכשירוהו – even through drinking.

המטהר יינו של עובד כוכבים – an Israelite who tread on the grapes of an idolater in a state of religious fitness in order to sell them to [another] Israelite, he doesn’t give money to the idolater until he sells them after a while.

ונותנו ברשות – of the idolater.

they pass in the public domain and causes him loss, and even if there is no key or lock, it is permitted, as long as he doesn’t have a lien on that wine, such as the case where he wrote to him: “I have received it from you as we stated [later on- see Mishnah 12 of this chapter].

רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר כל רשות עכו"ם אחת היא – There is a dispute between Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar and the First Tanna/Teacher for the first Tanna/teacher holds that when the Israelite left wine in the domain of the idolater, the owner of the wine, it is in this case where we require that the house be open to the public domain, and it be a city where Israelites and idolaters live in it. But in the domain of another idolater who is not the owner [of the wine], even in a city where Israelites do not dwell, it is permitted. But Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar states that it is all one whatever the domain of an idolater. For just as that in the domain of the idolater who is the owner of the wine, it is prohibited other than in a city where Israelites and idolaters live there and the house is open to the public domain, so too here, in the domain of another idolater, the city must be one in which Israelites and idolaters live in and the house is open to the public domain. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar. And at a time when the key and the lock is in the hands of an Israelite whether in the domain of the owner of the wine, whether in the domain of another idolater, it is permissible according to the words of everyone.

והלה כותב לו שנתקבלתי ממך מעות מותר – if the house is open to the public domain and Israelites live in that city as we have stated above (in the previous Mishnah).

אבל אם רצה – for now, the wine is a as a deposit with the idolater. And since he has a lien on the wine, it is prohibited, and that it does not bubble/ferment, he holds that if he sees me and claims it from me, I would say that it is mine. But even though the key and the lock are in the hand of an Israelite, it is prohibited.