Daniel 13

¹ A man lived in Babylon, and his name was Joakim.

² He took a wife, whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helkias, a very fair woman, and one who feared the Lord.

³ Her parents were also righteous, and taught their daughter according to the law of Moses.

⁴ Now Joakim was a great rich man, and had a beautiful garden next to his house. The Jews used to come to him, because he was more honorable than all others.

⁵ The same year, two of the elders of the people were appointed to be judges, such as the Lord spoke of, that wickedness came from Babylon from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people.

⁶ These were often at Joakim’s house. All that had any lawsuits came to them.

⁷ When the people departed away at noon, Susanna went into her husband’s garden to walk.

⁸ The two elders saw her going in every day and walking; and they were inflamed with lust for her.

⁹ They perverted their own mind and turned away their eyes, that they might not look to heaven, nor remember just judgments.

¹⁰ And although they both were wounded with lust for her, yet dared not show the other his grief.

¹¹ For they were ashamed to declare their lust, what they desired to do with her.

¹² Yet they watched eagerly from day to day to see her.

¹³ The one said to the other, “Let’s go home, now; for it is dinner time.”

¹⁴ So when they had gone out, they parted company, and turning back again, they came to the same place. After they had asked one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust. Then they appointed a time both together, when they might find her alone.

¹⁵ It happened, as they watched on an opportune day, she went in as before with only two maids, and she desired to wash herself in the garden; for it was hot.

¹⁶ There was nobody there except the two elders who had hid themselves and watched her.

¹⁷ Then she said to her maids, “Bring me olive oil and ointment, and shut the garden doors, that I may wash myself.”

¹⁸ They did as she asked them and shut the garden doors, and went out themselves at the side doors to fetch the things that she had commanded them. They didn’t see the elders, because they were hidden.

¹⁹ Now when the maids had gone out, the two elders rose up and ran to her, saying,

²⁰ “Behold, the garden doors are shut, that no man can see us, and we are in love with you. Therefore consent to us, and lie with us.

²¹ If you will not, we will testify against you, that a young man was with you; therefore you sent your maids away from you.”

²² Then Susanna sighed, and said, “I am trapped; for if I do this thing, it is death to me. If I don’t do it, I can’t escape your hands.

²³ It is better for me to fall into your hands, and not do it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.”

²⁴ With that Susanna cried with a loud voice; and the two elders cried out against her.

²⁵ Then one of them ran and opened the garden doors.

²⁶ So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the garden, they rushed in at the side door to see what had happened to her.

²⁷ But when the elders had told their tale, the servants were greatly ashamed; for there was never such a report made of Susanna.

²⁸ It came to pass on the next day, when the people assembled to her husband Joakim, the two elders came full of their wicked intent against Susanna to put her to death,

²⁹ and said before the people, “Send for Susanna, the daughter of Helkias, Joakim’s wife.” So they sent;

³⁰ and she came with her father and mother, her children, and all her kindred.

³¹ Now Susanna was a very delicate woman, and beautiful to behold.

³² These wicked men commanded her to be unveiled, for she was veiled, that they might be filled with her beauty.

³³ Therefore her friends and all who saw her wept.

³⁴ Then the two elders stood up in the midst of the people and laid their hands upon her head.

³⁵ She, weeping, looked up toward heaven; for her heart trusted in the Lord.

³⁶ The elders said, “As we walked in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors, and sent the maids away.

³⁷ Then a young man who was hidden there came to her and lay with her.

³⁸ And we, being in a corner of the garden, saw this wickedness and ran to them.

³⁹ And when we saw them together, we couldn’t hold the man; for he was stronger than we, and opened the doors, and leaped out.

⁴⁰ But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us. We testify these things.

⁴¹ Then the assembly believed them, as those who were elders of the people and judges; so they condemned her to death.

⁴² Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, “O everlasting God, you know the secrets, and know all things before they happen.

⁴³ You know that they have testified falsely against me. Behold, I must die, even though I never did such things as these men have maliciously invented against me.”

⁴⁴ The Lord heard her voice.

⁴⁵ Therefore when she was led away to be put to death, God raised up the holy spirit of a young youth, whose name was Daniel.

⁴⁶ He cried with a loud voice, “I am clear from the blood of this woman!”

⁴⁷ Then all the people turned them toward him, and said, “What do these words that you have spoken mean?”

⁴⁸ So he, standing in the midst of them, said, “Are you all such fools, you sons of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth you have condemned a daughter of Israel?

⁴⁹ Return again to the place of judgment; for these have testified falsely against her.”

⁵⁰ Therefore all the people turned again in haste, and the elders said to him, “Come, sit down among us, and show it to us, seeing God has given you the honor of an elder.”

⁵¹ Then Daniel said to them, “Put them far apart from each another, and I will examine them.”

⁵² So when they were put apart one from another, he called one of them, and said to him, “O you who have become old in wickedness, now your sins have returned which you have committed before,

⁵³ in pronouncing unjust judgment, condemning the innocent, and letting the guilty go free; although the Lord says, ‘You shall not kill the innocent and righteous.’

⁵⁴ Now then, if you saw her, tell me, under which tree did you see them companying together?” He answered, “Under a mastick tree.”

⁵⁵ And Daniel said, “You have certainly lied against your own head; for even now the angel of God has received the sentence of God and will cut you in two.”

⁵⁶ So he put him aside, and commanded to bring the other, and said to him, “O you seed of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and lust has perverted your heart.

⁵⁷ Thus you have dealt with the daughters of Israel, and they for fear were intimate with you; but the daughter of Judah would not tolerate your wickedness.

⁵⁸ Now therefore tell me, under which tree did you take them being intimate together?” He answered, “Under an evergreen oak tree.”

⁵⁹ Then Daniel said to him, “You have also certainly lied against your own head; for the angel of God waits with the sword to cut you in two, that he may destroy you.”

⁶⁰ With that, all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and blessed God, who saves those who hope in him.

⁶¹ Then they arose against the two elders, for Daniel had convicted them of false testimony out of their own mouth.

⁶² According to the law of Moses they did to them what they maliciously intended to do to their neighbor. They put them to death, and the innocent blood was saved the same day.

⁶³ Therefore Helkias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joakim her husband, and all the kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.

⁶⁴ And from that day forth, Daniel had a great reputation in the sight of the people.

¹ NNow there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joakim:

² And he took a wife, whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God.

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

⁴ Now Joakim was very rich, and had an orchard near his house: and the Jews resorted to him, because he was the most honourable of them all.

⁵ And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said: That iniquity came out from Babylon, from the ancient judges, that seemed to govern the people.

⁶ These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had any matters of judgment came to them.

⁷ And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband’s orchard.

⁸ And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards her:

⁹ And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes, that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.

¹⁰ So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known their grief one to the other.

¹¹ For they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust, being desirous to have to do with her:

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

¹³ Let us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going out, they departed one from another.

¹⁴ And turning back again, they came both to the same place: and asking one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust: and then they agreed together upon a time, when they might find her alone.

¹⁵ And it fell out, as they watched a fit day, she went in on a time, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and was desirous to wash herself in the orchard: for it was hot weather.

¹⁶ And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves, and were beholding her.

¹⁷ So she said to the maids: Bring me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me.

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

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

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

²¹ But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that a young man was with thee, and therefore thou didst send away thy maids from thee.

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

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

²⁴ With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out against her.

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

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

²⁷ But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed: for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on the next day,

²⁸ When the people were come to Joakim, her husband, the two elders also came full of wicked device against Susanna, to put her to death.

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

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

³¹ Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold.

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

³³ Therefore her friends, and all her acquaintance wept.

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

³⁵ And she weeping, looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord.

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

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

³⁸ But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.

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

⁴⁰ But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses.

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

⁴² Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said: O eternal God, who knowest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to pass,

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

⁴⁴ And the Lord heard her voice.

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

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

⁴⁷ Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said: What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?

⁴⁸ But he standing in the midst of them, said: Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel?

⁴⁹ Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her.

⁵⁰ So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him: Come, and sit thou down among us, and shew it us: seeing God hath given thee the honour of old age.

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

⁵² So when they were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: O thou that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou hast committed before:

⁵³ In judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith: The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill.

⁵⁴ Now then if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together: He said: Under a mastic tree.

⁵⁵ And Daniel said: Well hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God having received the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two.

⁵⁶ And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thy heart:

⁵⁷ Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you: but a daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness.

⁵⁸ Now, therefore, tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together. And he answered: Under a holm tree.

⁵⁹ And Daniel said to him: Well hast thou also lied against thy own head: for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you.

⁶⁰ With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him.

⁶¹ And they rose up against the two elders, (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbour,

⁶² To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.

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

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

⁶⁵ And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers; and Cyrus, the Persian, received his kingdom.