The history of Susanna and the two elders.
This history of Susanna, in all the ancient Greek and Latin Bibles, was
placed in the beginning of the book of Daniel: till St. Jerome, in his
translation, detached it from thence; because he did not find it in the
Hebrew: which is also the case of the history of Bel and the Dragon.
But both the one and the other are received by the Catholic Church: and
were from the very beginning a part of the Christian Bible.
13:1. Now there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was
Joakim:
13:2. And he took a wife, whose name was Susanna, the daughter of
Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God.
13:3. For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
13:4. 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.
13:5. 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.
13:6. These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had any
matters of judgment came to them.
13:7. And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and
walked in her husband’s orchard.
13:8. And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they
were inflamed with lust towards her:
13:9. And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes,
that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.
13:10. So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not
make known their grief one to the other.
13:11. For they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust,
being desirous to have to do with her:
13:12. And they watched carefully every day to see her. And one said to
the other:
13:13. Let us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going out, they
departed one from another.
13:14. 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.
13:15. 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.
13:16. And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid
themselves, and were beholding her.
13:17. So she said to the maids: Bring me oil, and washing balls, and
shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me.
13:18. 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.
13:19. Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose, and
ran to her, and said:
13:20. 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.
13:21. 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.
13:22. 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.
13:23. But it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing
it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.
13:24. With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders
also cried out against her.
13:25. And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and opened it.
13:26. 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.
13:27. 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,
13:28. 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.
13:29. And they said before the people: Send to Susanna, daughter of
Helcias, the wife of Joakim. And presently they sent.
13:30. And she came with her parents, and children and all her kindred.
13:31. Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold.
13:32. 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.
13:33. Therefore her friends, and all her acquaintance wept.
13:34. But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people, laid
their hands upon her head.
13:35. And she weeping, looked up to heaven, for her heart had
confidence in the Lord.
13:36. 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.
13:37. Then a young man that was there hid came to her, and lay with
her.
13:38. But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this
wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.
13:39. And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than
us, and opening the doors, he leaped out:
13:40. But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but
she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses.
13:41. The multitude believed them, as being the elders, and the judges
of the people, and they condemned her to death.
13:42. 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,
13:43. 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.
13:44. And the Lord heard her voice.
13:45. 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:
13:46. And he cried out with a loud voice: I am clear from the blood of
this woman.
13:47. Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said: What
meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?
13:48. 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?
13:49. Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against
her.
13:50. 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.
13:51. And Daniel said to the people: Separate these two far from one
another, and I will examine them.
13:52. 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:
13:53. 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.
13:54. Now then if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest
them conversing together: He said: Under a mastic tree.
13:55. 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.
13:56. 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:
13:57. 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.
13:58. Now, therefore, tell me, under what tree didst thou take them
conversing together. And he answered: Under a holm tree.
13:59. 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.
13:60. With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they
blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him.
13:61. 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,
13:62. To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and
innocent blood was saved in that day.
13:63. 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.
13:64. And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that
day, and thence forward.
13:65. And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers; and Cyrus, the
Persian, received his kingdom.