Sometimes permission is given to beth-din [to smite one] because of "the exigencies of the hour." As when one comes to cry out before them over something stolen from him, having [as he says] "real indications" that Ploni stole the thing from him. And beth-din, too, see the indications, or witnesses testify to them as to their presence. [In such an instance,] permission was given to them [beth-din] to administer stripes [to the accused] so that he confess. But an individual, and even beth-din, if the "indications" have not been confirmed by them, but only by the claimant, have not been given this permission.
וְלִפְעָמִים (לב) נִתָּן רְשׁוּת לְבֵית דִּין מִפְּנֵי צֹרֶךְ שָׁעָה, כְּגוֹן, שֶׁאֶחָד בָּא לִצְעֹק לִפְנֵיהֶם עַל דְּבַר גְּנֵבָה שֶׁנִּגְנַב מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא מְשַׁעֵר בְּוַדַּאי בִּדְבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁפְּלוֹנִי גָּנַב מִמֶּנּוּ הַחֵפֶץ, וְגַם הַבֵּית דִּין רוֹאִין אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים, אוֹ שֶׁעֵדִים הֵעִידוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם עַל הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים, נִתָּן לָהֶם רְשׁוּת לְהַכּוֹתוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוֹדֶה. אֲבָל לְיָחִיד, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לְבֵית דִּין, רַק שֶׁלֹּא נִתְבָּרֵר לָהֶם הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים, כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹבֵעַ, לֹא נִתָּן רְשׁוּת הַזֶּה.
Sometimes permission is given to beth-din [to smite one] because of "the exigencies of the hour." As when one comes to cry out before them over something stolen from him, having [as he says] "real indications" that Ploni stole the thing from him. And beth-din, too, see the indications, or witnesses testify to them as to their presence. [In such an instance,] permission was given to them [beth-din] to administer stripes [to the accused] so that he confess. But an individual, and even beth-din, if the "indications" have not been confirmed by them, but only by the claimant, have not been given this permission.