[If] one witness says, “I saw the murderer,” and one witness says, “You did not see [him]”; [or if] a woman says, “I saw [the murderer],” and [another] woman says, “You did not see [him]”; they decapitate [a calf].  [If] one witness says, “I saw [the murderer],” and two say, “You did not see,” they decapitate [a calf].  If two say, “We saw [the murderer],” and one says to them, “You did not see,” they do not decapitate [a calf].

When the [number of] murderers increased, the eglah arufah rite was stopped —- from the time of Eliezer ben Dinai, and Techinah, who was called ben Perishah, but whom they then switched to calling “the son of the murderer,” When the adul-terers increased, the bitter waters were discontinued —- and it was Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai who discontinued them —- for it is stated (Hoshea 4:14): I shall not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for they themselves, etc.  When Yose ben Yoezer the leader of Tzreidah and Yose ben Yochanan the leader of Jerusalem died, the clusters ceased, as is stated (Micah 7:1): There is no cluster to eat, nor first-fruit which my soul desires.