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The Prophecy
of Daniel 13
Now there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name
was Joakim:
And he took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter
of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared
God.
For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
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.
And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed
judges that year, of whom the Lord said: Iniquity came
out from Babylon from the ancient judges, that seemed
to govern the people.
These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that
had any matters of judgment came to them.
And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went
in, and walked in her husband's orchard.
And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking:
and they were inflamed with lust towards her:
And they perverted their own mind and turned away their
eyes that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember
just judgments.
So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet
they did not make known their grief one to the other:
For they were ashamed to declare to one another their
lust, being desirous to have to do with her.
And they watched carefully every day to see her. And
one said to the other:
Let us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going
out they departed one from another.
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 upon a time, when they
might find her alone.
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.
And there was nobody there, but the two old men that
had hid themselves and were beholding her.
So she said to the maids: Bring me oil, and washing
balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may
wash me.
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.
Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose,
and ran to her, and said:
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.
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.
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.
But it is better for me to fall into your hands without
doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.
With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the
elders also cried out against her.
And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and
opened it.
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.
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,
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.
And they said before the people: Send to Susanna daughter
of Helcias the wife of Joakim. And presently they sent.
And she came with her parents, and children, and all
her kindred.
Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to
behold.
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.
Therefore her friends and all her acquaintance wept.
But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people,
laid their hands upon her head.
And she weeping looked up to heaven, for her heart had
confidence in the Lord.
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.
Then a young man that was there hid came to her, and
lay with her.
But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing
this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie
together.
And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger
than us, and opening the doors be leaped out:
But having taken this woman, we asked who the young
man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we
are witnesses.
The multitude believed them as being the elders and
the judges of the people, and they condemned her to
death.
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,
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.
And the Lord heard her voice.
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.
And he cried out with a loud voice I am clear from the
blood of this woman.
Then all the people turning themselves towards him,
said: What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?
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?
Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness
against her.
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 as: seeing God hath given thee the honour of
old age.
And Daniel said to the people: Separate these two far
from one another, and I will examine them.
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:
In judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent,
and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord
saith: I The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill.
Now then, if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree
thou sawest them conversing together. He said: Under
a mastic tree.
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.
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:
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.
Now therefore tell me, under what tree didst thou take
them conversing together., And he answered: Under a
holm tree.
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.
With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice,
and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in
him.
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,
To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death,
and innocent blood was saved in that day.
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.
And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from
that day, and thenceforward.
And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus
the Persian received his kingdom.
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