Susanna 1

1There was a man living in Babylon, and his name was Joakim.

2And he took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, beautiful,

3greatly, and fearing the Lord; and her parents were righteous, and they taught their daughter according to the law of Moses.

4And Joakim was exceedingly rich, and he had a garden adjoining his house; and the Jews would come to him because he was more esteemed than all of them.

5And in that year two elders from the people were appointed as judges, concerning whom the Master had spoken: “Lawlessness came out from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who seemed to govern the people.”

6and legal cases came to them from other cities.

7These men saw a woman beautiful in appearance, a wife of one of their brothers from the sons of Israel, whose name was Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah, wife of Joakim, walking in her husband's garden in the evening.

8and they desired her,

9They twisted their minds and turned away their eyes so as not to look to heaven or remember righteous judgments.

10And both of them were inflamed with desire for her, and neither one disclosed to the other the wicked passion that held them concerning her, nor did the woman know this matter.

11And when dawn came, they would come, stealing away from one another in haste, to see which of them would appear to her first and speak with her.

12And behold, she was walking about as usual, and one of the elders had come, and behold, the other arrived, and he questioned the other, saying, “Why did you go out so early without taking me along?”

13And each confessed to the other his own anguish.

14one said to the other, “Let us go home now, because it is time for lunch.”

15And after they went out, they separated from one another.

16And after turning back, they came to the same place, and when they questioned one another about the reason, they confessed their desire; then together they arranged a time when they would be able to find her alone.

17And it happened, while they were watching for an opportune day, that she once entered, as yesterday and the third day before, with only two young maids, and desired to bathe in the garden, because it was hot.

18And no one was there except the two elders, hidden and watching her.

19And she said to the servant girls, “Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the doors of the garden, so that I may bathe.”

20And they did as she said, and they shut the doors of the garden and went out by the side doors to bring what had been ordered for them, and they did not see the elders, because they were hidden.

21And it happened, when the maids had gone out, that the two elders rose up and rushed at her.

22And they said, “Look, the doors of the garden are shut, and no one sees us, and we are filled with desire for you. Therefore consent to us, and be with us.”

23But if not, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and for this reason you sent the servant girls away from you.

24And Susanna groaned and said, “I am hemmed in 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.”

25It is preferable for me to fall into your hands without doing it rather than to sin before the Lord.

26But when those from the house heard the outcry in the garden, they rushed in through the side door to see what had happened to her.

27But when the elders spoke their words, the servants were greatly ashamed, because never had such a thing been said about Susanna.

28But the lawless men turned back, threatening among themselves and lying in wait so that they might put her to death. And when they came to the assembly of the city, they did not stay away, and all the sons of Israel who were there gathered together.

29And it happened on the next day, when the people had gathered to her husband Joakim, that the two elders came, full of their lawless intent against Susanna to put her to death, and they said before the people, “Send for Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, who is the wife of Joakim.”

30So they sent for her, and she came with her parents and her children and all her relatives.

31The woman was exceedingly delicate.

32And the lawless men ordered her to be uncovered, so that they might satisfy their desire for her beauty.

33And all those with her were weeping, and all who knew her were weeping.

34Then the elders and judges stood up and laid their hands on her head.

35But she, weeping, looked up to heaven, because her heart had trusted in the Lord.

36But the two elders said, “We were walking in the garden of her husband,”

37And as we were going around the enclosed garden, we saw this woman lying with a man, and standing there we watched them talking with one another,

38And they did not know that we were standing there. Then we rushed together, saying, 'Let us find out who these men are.'

39And when we came near, we saw her; but the young man fled, being covered.

40After seizing her, we questioned her, ‘Who was the man?’ But she did not tell us who he was. These things we testify.

41And the whole assembly believed them, since they were elders and judges of the people.

42And Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, “O eternal God, knower of the hidden things, who knows all things before they come to be,”

43You know that they testified falsely against me; and behold, I am dying, having done none of the things that these men wickedly contrived against me.

44And the Lord heard her voice.

45And as she was being led away to be put to death, God stirred up the holy spirit of a younger boy whose name was Daniel.

46And he cried out with a loud voice, “I am innocent of this woman’s blood.”

47Then all the people turned to him and said, “What is this word that you have spoken?”

48But he stood in their midst and said, “Are you such fools, sons of Israel? Without examining the matter or even learning the facts clearly, have you condemned a daughter of Israel?”

49Return to the court, for these men have borne false witness against her.

50And all the people returned with haste. And the elders said to him, “Come, sit in our midst and tell us, for God has given you eldership.”

51And Daniel said to them, “Separate them far from one another, and I will examine them.”

52But when they had been separated, one from the other, he called one of them and said to him, “You who have grown old in evil days, now the sins that you were doing before have come upon you.”

53formerly, while you were rendering unjust judgments and condemning the innocent, but releasing the guilty, though the Lord says, ‘You shall not put to death the innocent and righteous.’

54Now then, if you saw this woman, tell us: under what tree did you see them talking with each other? And he said, “Under a mastic tree.”

55Then Daniel said, “You have lied rightly against your own head; for already an angel of God, having received a sentence from God, will split you in two.”

56And after removing him, he ordered the other one to be brought forward. And he said to him, “Offspring of Canaan and not Judah, beauty has deceived you, and desire has corrupted your heart.”

57This is how you acted toward the daughters of Israel, and they, out of fear, associated with you; but a daughter of Judah did not endure your lawlessness.

58Now then, tell me: under what tree did you catch them talking with one another? And he said, “Under a holm oak.”

59Then Daniel said to him, “You also have lied rightly against your own head; for the angel of God stands by, holding the sword to split you in two, so that he may destroy you.”

60And the whole assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saves those who hope in him.

61And they rose up against the two elders, because Daniel had convicted them from their own mouth of being false witnesses, and they did to them as they had maliciously planned to do.

62to the neighbor, to do according to the law of Moses; and they put them to death. And innocent blood was spared on that day.

63And Hilkiah and his wife praised their daughter, along with Joakim her husband and all their relatives, because no shameful deed was found in her.

64And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day onward.