Daniel 13

¹And there was a man dwelling in Babylon, and his name Joakim:

²& he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Helcias exceeding fair, and fearing God.

³For her parents being just, instructed their daughter according to the law of Moyses.

⁴And Joakim was very rich, and he had an orchard near unto his house: and to him the Jews resorted together, because he was the more honorable of all.

⁵And there were two ancients appointed judges in that year, of whom our Lord spake: That iniquities came out of Babylon from the senior judges, that seemed to rule the people.

⁶These frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had judgements came to them.

⁷And when the people returned at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband's orchard.

⁸and the ancients saw her daily going in, and walking: and they were inflamed to the concupiscence of her:

⁹and they subverted their sense, and declined their eyes that they would not see heaven, nor remember just judgements.

¹⁰They were both therefore wounded with the love of her, neither did they shew their grief one to the other:

¹¹for they were ashamed to shew one another their concupiscence, being desirous to lie with her:

¹²and they watched every day carefully to see her. And one said to the other:

¹³Let us go home, because it is the hour of dinner. And going forth they departed one from another.

¹⁴And when they were returned, they came into one place: and asking of each other the cause, they confessed their concupiscence: and then in commune they appointed a time, when they might find her alone.

¹⁵And it came to pass, when they observed a fit day, she went in on a time as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, & would be washed in the orchard: for it was an hot season.

¹⁶And there was none there, but the two ancients hid, & beholding her.

¹⁷She therefore said to the maids: Fetch me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may be washed.

¹⁸And they did as she had commanded: and they shut the doors of the orchard, and went out by a back door to fetch the thing that she had commanded; and they knew not that the ancients were hid within.

¹⁹But when the maids were gone forth, the two ancients arose, and ran to her, and said:

²⁰Lo the doors of the orchard be shut, and nobody seeth us, and we are in the concupiscence of thee: wherefore consent to us, and lie with us.

²¹and if thou wilt not, we will give testimony against thee, that there was a young man with thee, and for this cause thou didst send out thy maids from thee.

²²Susanna sighed, and said: Perplexities are to me on every side: for if I shall do this, it is death to me: and if I do it not, I shall not escape your hands.

²³But it is better for me without the act to fall into your hands, than to sin in the sight of our Lord.

²⁴And Susanna cried out with a loud voice: but the ancients also cried out against her.

²⁵And one ran to the door of the orchard, and opened it.

²⁶when the servants therefore of the house had heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door, to see what it was.

²⁷And after the ancients spake, the servants were ashamed exceedingly: because never had there been such a word said of Susanna. And the morrow came.

²⁸And when the people was come to Joakim her husband, the two ancients also came full of unjust cogitation against Susanna, to put her to death.

²⁹And they said before the people: Send to Susanna daughter of Helcias the wife of Joakim. And forthwith they sent.

³⁰And she came with her parents, and children, and all her kin.

³¹Moreover Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful of face.

³²But those wicked men commanded that she should be uncovered (for she was covered) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty.

³³Her friends therefore wept, & all that had known her.

³⁴But the two ancients rising up in the midst of the people, laid their hands upon her head.

³⁵Who weeping looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in our Lord.

³⁶And the ancients said: When we walked alone in the orchard, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the doors of the orchard: and she sent away the maids from her.

³⁷And a young man that was hid came to her, and lay with her.

³⁸But we being in a corner of the orchard, seeing the iniquity, ran to them, and saw them lie together.

³⁹And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than we, and opening the doors he lept out:

⁴⁰but her when we apprehended, we asked what youngman it was, and she would not tell us, of this thing we are witnesses.

⁴¹The multitude believed them as the ancients and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death.

⁴²But Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said: Eternal God, which art the knower of hidden things before they come to pass,

⁴³thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me: and lo I die, whereas I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously forged against me.

⁴⁴And our Lord heard her voice.

⁴⁵and when she was led to death, our Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel:

⁴⁶and he cried out with a loud voice: I am clean from the blood of this woman.

⁴⁷And all the people turning to him, said: What is this word, that thou hast spoken?

⁴⁸Who when he stood in the midst of them, said: So foolish ye children of Israel, not judging, nor discerning that which is the truth, have you condemned the daughter of Israel?

⁴⁹Return ye to judgement, because they have spoken false testimony against her.

⁵⁰The people therefore returned with speed, and the ancients said to him: Come, and sit in the midst of us, and tell us: because God hath given thee the honour of old age.

⁵¹And Daniel said to the people: Separate them far one from another, and I will discover them.

⁵²When they were therefore divided one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: O thou inveterated of evil days, now are thy sins come, which thou didst commit before:

⁵³judging unjust judgements, oppressing innocents, and dismissing offenders, our Lord saying: The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill.

⁵⁴Now then if thou sawest her, tell under what tree thou sawest them talking together. Who said: Under a schine tree.

⁵⁵And Daniel said: Well hast thou lied against thine own head: for behold the Angel of God taking the sentence of him, shall cut thee in the midst.

⁵⁶And removing him away, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: Seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and concupiscence hath subverted thy heart:

⁵⁷so did you to the daughters of Israel, and they fearing spake to you: but the daughter of Juda did not abide your iniquity.

⁵⁸Now therefore tell me, under what tree thou tookest them speaking one to another. Who said: Under a prine tree.

⁵⁹And Daniel said to him: Well hast thou also lied against thine own head: for the Angel of our Lord tarrieth, having a sword, that he may cut thee in the midst, and kill you.

⁶⁰Therefore all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, which saveth them that hope in him.

⁶¹And they rose up against the two elders (for Daniel had convinced them by their own mouth to have given false testimony) and they did to them as they had dealt naughtily against their neighbour,

⁶²to do according to the law of Moyses: & they killed them, and innocent blood was saved in that day.

⁶³But Helcias, and his wife praised God, for their daughter Susanna, with Joakim her husband, and all her kin, because there was no unhonest thing found in her.

⁶⁴And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, & thence forward.

⁶⁵And king Astyages was laid to his fathers, & Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom.