13:1And there was a man living in Babylon, and his name was Joakim: and he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, exceedingly beautiful, and fearing God: for her parents, since they were just, had instructed their daughter according to the law of Moses. 13:4Now Joakim was very rich, and he had an orchard next to his house: and to him the Jews used to flock, because he was the most honourable of all. 13:5And two elders from the people were appointed judges in that year, about whom the Lord spoke: "Iniquity has gone out from Babylon from elder judges, who seemed to rule the people." 13:6These men used to frequent the house of Joakim, and all who had lawsuits used to come to them.
13:7And when the people had gone back at midday, Susanna would go in, and walk about in her husband's orchard. 13:8And the elders used to see her every day going in and walking about, and they burned with desire for her: and they perverted their mind, and turned aside their eyes so that they might not see heaven, nor remember just judgements. 13:10So they were both wounded with love of her, yet they did not show their pain to each other: for they were ashamed to show each other their desire, wanting to lie with her. 13:12And they were watching every day rather anxiously to see her. 13:12And one said to the other: "Let us go home, because it is the hour of lunch."
13:13And having gone out, they went apart from each other. 13:14And when they had turned back, they came to the same place: and asking each other the reason, they confessed their desire: and then together they fixed a time when they might find her alone. 13:15And it happened, while they were watching for a suitable day, she went in once, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and wished to bathe in the orchard: for it was hot: and there was no one there, except the two elders, hidden, and gazing at her. 13:17So she said to the maids: "Bring me oil, and soaps, and shut the doors of the orchard, so that I may bathe."
13:18And they did as she had commanded: and they shut the doors of the orchard, and went out through the back door to bring what she had ordered; 13:18and they did not know that the elders were hidden inside. 13:19But when the maids had gone out, the two elders rose up, and ran to her, and said: "Look, the doors of the orchard are shut, and no one sees us, and we are in desire of you: for which reason consent to us, and lie with us. 13:21But if you are unwilling, we will give testimony against you, that a young man was with you, and that for this reason you sent the maids away from you."
13:22Susanna groaned, and said: "There are straits for me on every side: for if I do this, it is death for me: but if I do not do it, I will not escape your hands. 13:23But it is better for me, without the deed, to fall into your hands, than to sin in the sight of the Lord." 13:24And Susanna cried out with a great voice: and the elders too cried out against her. 13:25And one ran to the doors of the orchard, and opened them. 13:26So when the servants of the house had heard the outcry in the orchard, they rushed in through the back door to see what it was.
13:27But after the elders had spoken, the servants blushed greatly, because never had a word of this kind been said about Susanna. 13:27And the next day came. 13:28And when the people had come to Joakim her husband, the two elders came too, full of wicked thought against Susanna, to kill her. 13:29And they said before the people: "Send for Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, the wife of Joakim." 13:29And at once they sent. 13:30And she came with her parents, and children, and all her kinsfolk. 13:31Now Susanna was exceedingly delicate, and beautiful in appearance. 13:32But those wicked men ordered that she be uncovered (for she was veiled), so that at least in this way they might be sated with her beauty.
13:33So her own people were weeping, and all who knew her. 13:34But the two elders, rising up in the middle of the people, laid their hands upon her head. 13:35And she, weeping, looked up to heaven: for her heart had trust in the Lord. 13:36And the elders said: "While we were walking about in the orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids: and she shut the doors of the orchard, and sent the maids away from her. 13:37And a young man came to her, who was hidden, and lay with her. 13:38But we, when we were in a corner of the orchard, seeing the iniquity, ran to them, and saw them lying together.
13:39And him indeed we could not seize, because he was stronger than us, and, the doors having been opened, he leapt out: but when we had seized this woman, we asked who the young man was, and she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses." 13:41The multitude believed them, as elders and judges of the people, and they condemned her to death. 13:42But Susanna cried out with a great voice, and said: "Eternal God, who are the knower of hidden things, who know all things before they happen, you know that they have borne false testimony against me: and look, I am dying, though I have done none of these things which these men have maliciously composed against me."
13:44And the Lord heard her voice. 13:45And when she was being led to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a younger boy, whose name was Daniel: and he cried out with a great voice: "I am clean from the blood of this woman." 13:47And all the people, having turned to him, said: "What is this word which you have spoken?" 13:48And he, standing in the middle of them, said: "Are you so foolish, sons of Israel, that not judging, nor recognising what is true, you have condemned a daughter of Israel? 13:49Go back to the judgement, because they have spoken false testimony against her." 13:50So the people went back in haste, and the elders said to him: "Come, and sit in the middle of us, and show us: because God has given you the honour of old age."
13:51And Daniel said to them: "Separate them far from each other, and I will judge them." 13:52So when they had been divided one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: "You who have grown old in evil days, now your sins have come, which you used to commit before: judging unjust judgements, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty go, though the Lord says: 'The innocent and the just you shall not kill.' 13:54Now therefore, if you saw her, say under what tree you saw them talking together." 13:54He said: "Under a mastic tree." 13:55And Daniel said: "Rightly have you lied against your own head: for look, the angel of God, having received the sentence from him, will cut you in two."
13:56And, he having been removed, he ordered the other to come, and said to him: "Seed of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and desire has overturned your heart: thus you used to do to the daughters of Israel, and they, fearing, used to have dealings with you: but a daughter of Judah did not endure your iniquity. 13:58Now therefore, tell me under what tree you caught them speaking together." 13:58He said: "Under a holm-oak." 13:59And Daniel said to him: "Rightly have you too lied against your own head: for the angel of the Lord is waiting, holding a sword, to cut you in two, and to kill you both."
13:60And so the whole assembly cried out with a great voice, and they blessed God, who saves those who hope in him. 13:61And they rose up together against the two elders (for Daniel had convicted them, out of their own mouth, of having spoken false testimony), and they did to them as they had acted wickedly against their neighbour, so as to act according to the law of Moses. 13:62And they killed them, and innocent blood was saved on that day. 13:63And Helcias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joakim her husband, and all the kinsfolk, because no shameful thing had been found in her. 13:64And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day and thereafter.
13:65And King Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom.