Daniel, 13

1. In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim.

1.

2. He was married to a woman called Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and she was God-fearing, for

2. And he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, a very beautiful woman and one who feared the Lord.

3. her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses.

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

4. Joakim was a very rich man and had a garden by his house; he used to be visited by a considerable number of the Jews, since he was held in greater respect than any other man.

4. Joakim was very rich, and had a spacious garden adjoining his house; and the Jews used to come to him because he was the most honored of them all.

5. Two elderly men had been selected from the people, that year, to act as judges. Of such the Lord had said, 'Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as guides to the people.'

5. In that year two elders from the people were appointed as judges. Concerning them the Lord had said: "Iniquity came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people."

6. These men were often at Joakim's house, and all who were engaged in litigation used to come to them.

6. These men were frequently at Joakim's house, and all who had suits at law came to them.

7. At midday, when the people had gone away, Susanna would take a walk in her husband's garden.

7. When the people departed at noon, Susanna would go into her husband's garden to walk.

8. The two elders, who used to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradually began to desire her.

8. The two elders used to see her every day, going in and walking about, and they began to desire her.

9. They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to Heaven, and forgetting the demands of virtue.

9. And they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to Heaven or remembering righteous judgments.

10. Both were inflamed by passion for her, but they hid their desire from each other,

10. Both were overwhelmed with passion for her, but they did not tell each other of their distress,

11. for they were ashamed to admit the longing to sleep with her,

11. for they were ashamed to disclose their lustful desire to possess her.

12. but they made sure of watching her every day.

12. And they watched eagerly, day after day, to see her.

13. One day, having parted with the words, 'Let us go home, then, it is time for the midday meal,' they went off in different directions,

13. They said to each other, "Let us go home, for it is mealtime."

14. only to retrace their steps and find themselves face to face again. Obliged then to explain, they admitted their desire and agreed to look for an opportunity of surprising her alone.

14. And when they went out, they parted from each other. But turning back, they met again; and when each pressed the other for the reason, they confessed their lust. And then together they arranged for a time when they could find her alone.

15. So they waited for a favourable moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only by two young maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden.

15. Once, while they were watching for an opportune day, she went in as before with only two maids, and wished to bathe in the garden, for it was very hot.

16. There was no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place.

16. And no one was there except the two elders, who had hid themselves and were watching her.

17. She said to the servants, 'Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door while I bathe.'

17. She said to her maids, "Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the garden doors so that I may bathe."

18. They did as they were told, shutting the garden door and going back to the house by a side entrance to fetch what she had asked for; they knew nothing about the elders, for they had concealed themselves.

18. They did as she said, shut the garden doors, and went out by the side doors to bring what they had been commanded; and they did not see the elders, because they were hidden.

19. Hardly were the maids gone than the two elders sprang up and rushed upon her.

19. When the maids had gone out, the two elders rose and ran to her, and said:

20. 'Look,' they said, 'the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give in and let us!

20. "Look, the garden doors are shut, no one sees us, and we are in love with you; so give your consent, and lie with us.

21. Refuse, and we shall both give evidence that a young man was with you and that this was why you sent your maids away.'

21. If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you sent your maids away."

22. Susanna sighed. 'I am trapped,' she said, 'whatever I do. If I agree, it means death for me; if I resist, I cannot get away from you.

22. Susanna sighed deeply, and said, "I am hemmed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I shall not escape your hands.

23. But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in the eyes of the Lord.'

23. I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands, rather than to sin in the sight of the Lord."

24. She then cried out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame on her,

24. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders shouted against her.

25. and one of them ran to open the garden door.

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

26. The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance to see what had happened to her.

26. When the household servants heard the shouting in the garden, they rushed in at the side door to see what had happened to her.

27. Once the elders had told their story, the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of this sort had ever been said of Susanna.

27. And when the elders told their tale, the servants were greatly ashamed, for nothing like this had ever been said about Susanna.

28. Next day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim. The two elders arrived, full of their wicked plea against Susanna, to have her put to death.

28. The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her husband Joakim, the two elders came, full of their wicked plot to have Susanna put to death.

29. They addressed the company, 'Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.' She was sent for,

29. They said before the people, "Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who is the wife of Joakim."

30. and came accompanied by her parents, her children and all her relations.

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

31. Susanna was very graceful and beautiful to look at;

31. Now Susanna was a woman of great refinement, and beautiful in appearance.

32. she was veiled, so the wretches made her unveil in order to feast their eyes on her beauty.

32. As she was veiled, the wicked men ordered her to be unveiled, that they might feed upon her beauty.

33. All her own people were weeping, and so were all the others who saw her.

33. But her family and friends and all who saw her wept.

34. The two elders stood up, with all the people round them, and laid their hands on her head.

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

35. Tearfully she turned her eyes to Heaven, her heart confident in God.

35. And she, weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord.

36. The elders then spoke, 'While we were walking by ourselves in the garden, this woman arrived with two maids. She shut the garden door and then dismissed the servants.

36. The elders said, "As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors, and dismissed the maids.

37. A young man, who had been hiding, went over to her and they lay together.

37. Then a young man, who had been hidden, came to her and lay with her.

38. From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towards them.

38. We were in a corner of the garden, and when we saw this wickedness we ran to them.

39. Though we saw them together, we were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; he opened the door and took to his heels.

39. We saw them embracing, but we could not hold the man, for he was too strong for us, and he opened the doors and dashed out.

40. We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was.

40. So we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was, but she would not tell us. These things we testify."

41. She refused to tell us. That is our evidence.' Since they were elders of the people and judges, the assembly accepted their word: Susanna was condemned to death.

41. The assembly believed them, because they were elders of the people and judges; and they condemned her to death.

42. She cried out as loud as she could, 'Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before it happens;

42. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, "O eternal God, who dost discern what is secret, who art aware of all things before they come to be,

43. you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now I must die, innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against me!'

43. thou knowest that these men have borne false witness against me. And now I am to die! Yet I have done none of the things that they have wickedly invented against me!"

44. The Lord heard her cry

44. The Lord heard her cry.

45. and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy called Daniel

45. And as she was being led away to be put to death, God aroused the holy spirit of a young lad named Daniel;

46. who began to shout, 'I am innocent of this woman's death!'

46. and he cried with a loud voice, "I am innocent of the blood of this woman."

47. At this all the people turned to him and asked, 'What do you mean by that?'

47. All the people turned to him, and said, "What is this that you have said?"

48. Standing in the middle of the crowd, he replied, 'Are you so stupid, children of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth?

48. Taking his stand in the midst of them, he said, "Are you such fools, you sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without examination and without learning the facts?

49. Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.'

49. Return to the place of judgment. For these men have borne false witness against her."

50. All the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, 'Come and sit with us and tell us what you mean, since God has given you the gifts that elders have.'

50. Then all the people returned in haste. And the elders said to him, "Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you that right."

51. Daniel said, 'Keep the men well apart from each other, for I want to question them.'

51. And Daniel said to them, "Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them."

52. When the men had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him. 'You have grown old in wickedness,' he said, 'and now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken you,

52. When they were separated from each other, he summoned one of them and said to him, "You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come home, which you have committed in the past,

53. you with your unjust judgements, your condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of the guilty, although the Lord has said, "You must not put the innocent and upright to death."

53. pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free, though the Lord said, `Do not put to death an innocent and righteous person.'

54. Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tell me what sort of tree you saw them lying under.' He replied, 'Under an acacia tree.'

54. Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this: Under what tree did you see them being intimate with each other?" He answered, "Under a mastic tree."

55. Daniel said, 'Indeed! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God has already received from him your sentence and will cut you in half.'

55. And Daniel said, "Very well! You have lied against your own head, for the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately cut you in two."

56. He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said to him, 'Son of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your heart astray!

56. Then he put him aside, and commanded them to bring the other. And he said to him, "You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you and lust has perverted your heart.

57. This is how you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel, and they have been too frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach your wickedness!

57. This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness.

58. Now then, tell me what sort of tree you surprised them under.' He replied, 'Under an aspen tree.'

58. Now then, tell me: Under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other?" He answered, "Under an evergreen oak."

59. Daniel said, 'Indeed! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting with a sword to rend you in half, and destroy the pair of you.'

59. And Daniel said to him, "Very well! You also have lied against your own head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to saw you in two, that he may destroy you both."

60. Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the Saviour of those who trust in him.

60. Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God, who saves those who hope in him.

61. And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of their own mouths.

61. And they rose against the two elders, for out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness;

62. As the Law of Moses prescribes, they were given the same punishment as they had schemed to inflict on their neighbour. They were put to death. And thus, that day, an innocent life was saved.

62. and they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor; acting in accordance with the law of Moses, they put them to death. Thus innocent blood was saved that day.

63. Hilkiah and his wife gave thanks to God for their daughter Susanna, and so did her husband Joakim and all his relations, because she had been acquitted of anything dishonourable.

63. And Hilkiah and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, and so did Joakim her husband and all her kindred, because nothing shameful was found in her.

64. From that day onwards, Daniel's reputation stood high with the people.

64. And from that day onward Daniel had a great reputation among the people.