Witnesses that said, "We testify about Ploni that he is a son of a divorcée" or "son of a halutzah (woman who was eligible for levirate marriage but went through the halitzah ceremony instead)", "a natin (descendant of a Canaanite Temple servant)", or "a bastard (mamzer)", [but] before their testimony was investigated in court, they said "We are liars"—behold they are believed. If after their testimony was investigated in court they said "We are liars", they are not believed. This is the rule of the matter: Witnesses that testify to declare something impure, pure, to distance, to bring closer, to forbid, to permit, to exempt, to obligate—if, before their testimony was examined in court they said "We are liars", they are believed; [but] if after their testimony was investigated in court they said "We are liars", they are not believed.

The legal power of a contract is stronger than that of witnesses [in some respects], and the legal power of witnesses is stronger than that of a contract [in other respects]. The power of a contract is stronger: a contract can remove a wife from her husband, which is not true of witnesses. The power of witnesses is stronger: witnesses that said "Ploni is dead", his wife can remarry; if "Ploni is dead" were written in a contract, his wife cannot remarry; if they said "What is written in this contract we heard but then forgot", his wife can remarry—a man who writes his testimony in a contract and testifies about it can continue to do so even after 100 years!

The legal power of a contract is greater than that of money [in some respects], and the legal power of money is greater than that of a contract [in other respects]. For a contract can [enable one to] collect from mortgaged property, which is not true of money. But the power of money is stronger: money can redeem arakhin (an item whose value is dedicated to the Temple), haramin (items dedicated to the Temple and/or doomed to destruction), sanctified items and second tithe, which is not true of a contract. The legal power of a contract and money is stronger than that of usucaption (hazakah, presumption of ownership) [in some respects], and the legl power of usucaption is stronger than that of contract and money [in other respects]. Usucaption is stronger: if he sold him 10 fields, when he possesses any one of them, he has acquired them all; but, if he payed him only the amount of one of them, or only wrote for him one of them [in the contract], he acquires only that field.

The 200 zuz for a virgin, 100 for a widow, nezek (damages for injury), half nezek, double payments (for stealing some kinds of property), four- and fivefold payments (for stealing other kinds of property)—all of them, even though they are not written in a contract, they are collected [even] from mortgaged property.

The wife who said, "I am married", but came back and said, "I am not married" is believed, since the mouth that forbade is the mouth that permitted. If she said: "I was captured but I am pure [i.e. did not have sex with her captives], and I have witnesses that I am pure!", they don't say: "Let's wait until the witnesses come and permit her", but rather permit her [to return to her husband or subsequently marry a kohen] immediately. If, after they permitted her, witnesses came and said, "She was captured", then she cannot remarry. (The next section is not in good manuscripts). If [the witnesses said] "She was captured and is impure", even if she had children, she has to leave the marriage. If one witness says "She was captured and is impure", [or] one witness says "She was captured and is pure", [or] a woman says "She was captured and is impure", [or] a woman says "She was captured and is pure"—all of these she should not be remarried; but if she does remarry, she shouldn't leave the marriage.

Two women who were captured—this one says, "I am impure but my fellow is pure" is believed. [If she says:] "I am pure but my fellow is impure" is not believed. "I and my fellow are impure" is believed about herself but not believed about her fellow. "I and my fellow are pure" is believed about her fellow but not believed about herself.

And similarly with two men—this one says, "My fellow is a kohen" and the other one says, "My fellow is a kohen"—they give to them [the priestly gifts]; but for priestly pedigree [i.e. to pass onto their children] they are not believed until there are 3 men, in order that 2 of them testify about the 3rd and the other 2 testify about the other 3rd. Rabbi Yehudah says: They don't even give them [the priestly gifts] until there are 2 to testify about this one and 2 to testify about this one. They raise someone to the priesthood, to being a Levite or an Israelite on the basis of one witness; but they do not lower someone except on the basis of 2 witnesses. Rabbi Yehudah says: Just as they don't lower someone except on the basis of 2, they don't raise except on the basis of 2.

Rabbi Lazar said: When [does this apply]? When there is a legal complaint in court [about the guy's status], but when there is no legal complaint in court, they raise to the priesthood on the basis of 1 witness. What constitutes a legal complaint? If they said: "How did Ploni jump into the priesthood?", "He never did the priestly blessing in shul", "He never took his priestly portion"—this is not a legal complaint. [If they said:] "He is son of a divorcée", "son of a halutzah", "a natin" or "a bastard"—this is a legal complaint. Rabbi raised [someone] to the priesthood based on 1 witness. Rabbi Yose raised [someone] to the priesthood based on 1 witness.

If rumour was spreading in town—Rabbi Yose says: Rumour is not evidence, rather anyone who has a valid legal complaint should come [to court] and say it. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Ha-Sgan: They raise [someone] to the priesthood based on 1 witness, and not even just 1 witness but even on the basis of a woman['s testimony]. And the woman doesn't even have to come to court, just when she said "They gave to him" [his priestly gifts, this off-hand comment is enough to raise someone to the priesthood].