How long is an Israelite required to care for a first-born? As to a small domesticated animal, thirty days, and as to a large domesticated animal, fifty days. Rabbi Yosei says, as to a small domesticated animal, three months, for it [requires] a lot of care. An unblemished first-born: During this time (i.e., the initial period), behold, one is permitted to to maintain it [in his possession] for two or three years, before taking it to an expert [to to examine for a blemish]. From the time that he takes it to an expert, [if] it becomes blemished within a year, he is permitted to maintain it for all twelve months. After twelve months, he is not permitted to maintain it for [more than] thirty days.

All consecrated [animals] that become consecrated in the womb, and are born by caesarian section (lit., "from the side"), consecration is imbued upon it. [As to] a first-born and [an animal subject to] cattle-tithe, consecration is not imbued upon them. All sanctified animals about which it is written, "year after year" (Deut. 15:20), as soon as their year has passed, behold, they are disqualified. A first-born and a cattle-tithe, even [after there have passed] two or three years, behold, they are valid.

The same [law applies to] the first-born and the animal tithe, and as to all [other] consecrated [animals] that have been consecrated: Once a year [has passed without three] Festivals, or [three] Festivals [have passed without] a year [elapsing] (R. Hash. 6b:3), one transgresses the law of "thou shalt not delay" on their account.

One who slaughters a first-born that is presumed to possess a blemish, but it turns out to be unblemished: Blemishes that are in the eye, they do not examine them, because [the eyes] change after death, but those of the body, they do examine them, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says, even those of the body they do not examine; rather, behold, this one examines: He who is not an expert and saw the first-born, and it was slaughtered on in his word [that it was unblemished]. This in fact once happened, and Elazar ben Padai came and asked the Sages [what to do], and they said, "He must pay half [the value] as to a small domesticated animal, and a quarter as to a large domesticated animal."

One who is suspected to take a wage (i.e., a bribe) and judge, or to take a wage and testify: All the judgments that he has rendered, and all the testimonies that he has given, behold, all of them are nullified. But one may give a judge a wage (i.e., pay him a salary) to act as a judge, or a witness a wage in order to testify, even though they said, it is kosher for a judge to take a wage and for a witness to take a wage for his testimony. One who is suspected to take payment in order to sprinkle or mix the waters [of purification], his waters are [treated as] cave water, and his ashes are [treated as] burnt ashes. And if he was a priest, he becomes defiled from from [eating] his terumah, and they feed him and give him drink, and anoint him (see Bekh. 4:6). And if he was an Elder, they give him a donkey to ride on, and give him his wage, like an unemployed laborer, even though they said, "ugly is the judge [who takes a salary to judge]." One who is suspected concerning first-borns, one may not even buy from him deerskins or untanned skins. Rabbi Eliezer says, they my buy from him skins from a female, because it has never fallen under the general rule of "consecrated [animals]." Rabbi Shimon says, one who is suspected to sell terumah as chullin, one may not purchase from him anything that has any connection to terumah or tithes, and he is [also] suspected as to all the purities and impurities in the Torah. One who is suspected to be contaminated with corpse-impurity is believed regarding [the location of] marked graves. One who is suspected about seventh-year produce is suspected about tithes, [and] one who is suspected about tithes is suspected about seventh-year produce. One who is suspected about either this or that is suspected about tahorot (i.e., preparation of foods in a state of purity). An Israelite is suspected about tahorot but is not suspected about either tithes or about seventh-year produce. One who is suspected about idolatry is suspected about every commandment that is in the Torah, but not retroactively; rather, from that point forward, as it is said (Num. 15:23), "From the day that God commanded you and forward, through all of your generations."

All [animals that are] disqualified from being brought as sacrifices are sold in the marketplace and slaughtered in the marketplace, and sold by liter, except for first-borns and animal tithes, since their profit goes to their owners [rather than to the Temple]. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says, a person may appease himself by liter (i.e., by weighing the animal himself), to know how much it weighs. Rabbi Yehuda says, a person may seek out his fellow in Jerusalem and say to him, "Did you eat today?" [If his fellow] says to him, "manna," then he knows that he ate from tithes, for just as manna has no monetary value, so too tithe has no value.* [If] he says to him, "summer fruit," he knows that he ate from a first-born, for just as summer fruits are sold cheaply, so too a first-born is sold cheaply. Beit Shammai says, only priests may share a [blemished] first-born amongst themselves, and Beit Hillel says, even with an Israelite. Rabbi Akiva permits [it to be shared] even with an idolater, as it is said (Deut. 12:15), "like the deer and like the gazelle." The meat of a first-born: Beit Shammai say, it may not be fed to a menstruant, and Beit Hillel say, it may be fed to a menstruant. A first-born that has a blood attack (see Bekh. 5:2), one may not let its blood even in a place that causes a blemish, but one may let its blood in a place that does not cause a blemish, the words of Rebbi. Rabbi Yehuda says, it may even be slaughtered on the basis of that blemish. Rabbi Shimon, even if it will die, one may not let its blood. [If] a first-born was coming after him, and he blemished it (i.e., in self-defense), if he intended [to cause a blemish], it is forbidden [to be eaten], and if not, it is permitted. As to all blemishes that are fit to have been inflicted by a person, Israelite shepherds are trusted, [but] shepherds who are priests are not trusted. [The Sages subsequently] went back and ruled as follows: One is trusted about [the first-born] of his fellow, but is not trusted as to his own. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Kefusai says, one may only slaughter a first-born on the testimony of two [witnesses]. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says, even [on the testimony of] his son, and even his daughter. Rebbi says*, even if there are ten people within his household [who testify about the blemish], they are not believed, for one who is suspected about a matter may not judge nor testify [about that matter]. They do not evaluate unblemished first-borns for an Israelite, but they evaluate blemished first-borns for them. [An expert] should not evaluate a first-born for an Israelite, but if a priest said to him, "Send me along with you," or in the case of who inherits from the priestly father of his mother, they may evaluate. A kosher (i.e., fit to perform Temple service) priest who was shepherding an Israelite's flock should not say to him, "Give me these first-borns"; rather, he may say to him, "Those four impure [animals] from your flock -- give them to me." All first-borns may be permitted by a person except his own first-borns, and he may be questioned about the impurity and about the purity of that which belongs to him.

One who blemishes that which is blemished, behold, he is administered forty lashes. One who leavens that which is leavened, behold, he is administered forty lashes. One who castrates that which is castrated, behold, he is administered forty lashes. A blemish that is exposed, behold, that [animal] is slaughtered on the testimony of three who [regularly] attend the synagogue, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yosei says, even if its leg was cut off or its eye was blinded, one may only slaughter it on the testimony of an expert.