Daniel — Susanna
Innocent Blood Was Saved That Day
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Susanna 1:6And judicial cases from other cities came to them.
Susanna 1:7–8These men saw a woman lovely in appearance, the wife of their brother from the sons of Israel, named Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joachim, walking in her husband’s garden in the evening. They desired her
Susanna 1:9and distorted their minds, turning their eyes aside so as not to look toward heaven or remember righteous judgments.
Susanna 1:10–11Both were stricken with desire for her, but neither admitted to the other the evil that possessed them concerning her. The woman herself knew nothing of this matter.
Susanna 1:12As dawn came, they would come, trying to outwit one another in their hurry to see who would appear to her first and speak with her.
Susanna 1:13–14And behold, she was walking as usual. One of the elders had arrived, and behold, the other came. One questioned the other, saying, “Why did you go out so early without taking me?” Then each confessed his anguish to the other.
Susanna 1:19One said to the other, “Let us go to her.” Having agreed, they approached her and tried to force her.
Susanna 1:22The Jewish woman said to them, “I know that if I do this, it means death for me; and if I do not, I will not escape your hands.
Susanna 1:23But it is better for me to fall into your hands without having done it than to sin before the Lord.”
Susanna 1:28The lawless men went back, making threats among themselves and plotting to kill her. They came to the assembly of the city where they were residing, and all the sons of Israel who were there sat together in council.
Susanna 1:29The two elders and judges stood up and said, “Send for Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah, who is Joachim’s wife.” They summoned her at once.
Susanna 1:30The woman arrived with her father and mother. Her male and female servants, numbering five hundred, also arrived, together with Susanna’s four children.
Susanna 1:31The woman was very delicate.
Susanna 1:32The lawless men ordered her to be uncovered, so that they might satisfy their desire for her beauty.
Susanna 1:33All her people, and everyone who knew her, wept.
Susanna 1:34The elders and judges stood up and laid their hands on her head.
Susanna 1:35But her heart trusted in the Lord her God. Raising her head, she wept within herself, saying,
Susanna 1:35a“Lord, everlasting God, who know all things before they come into being, You know that I have not done what these lawless men wickedly allege against me.” And the Lord heard her petition.
Susanna 1:36The two elders said, “We were walking in her husband’s garden,
Susanna 1:37and as we went around the course, we saw this woman reclining with a man. We stood and watched them being intimate with one another,
Susanna 1:38and they did not know that we were standing there. Then we said to one another, ‘Let us find out who these people are.’
Susanna 1:39We approached and recognized her, but the young man fled, covered up.
Susanna 1:40We seized her and asked her, ‘Who is the man?’
Susanna 1:41She did not tell us who he was. We testify to these things.” The whole assembly believed them because they were elders and judges of the people.
Susanna 1:44–45And behold, an angel of the Lord was there as she was being led out to perish. As he had been commanded, the angel gave a spirit of understanding to Daniel, who was young.
Susanna 1:48Daniel parted the crowd, stood in their midst, and said, “Are you so foolish, sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without an inquiry or a clear knowledge of the facts?
Susanna 1:51Now separate them far from one another for me, so that I may examine them.”
Susanna 1:52When they had been separated, Daniel said to the assembly, “Do not now look at the fact that these men are elders and say, ‘They certainly will not lie.’ I will question them according to what occurs to me.” He called one of them, and they brought the elder to the young man. Daniel said to him, “Listen, listen, you who have grown old in evil days! Now your sins have come upon you, the things you formerly did
Susanna 1:53when you were entrusted with hearing and judging cases that bring death: you condemned the innocent and released the guilty, although the Lord says, ‘You shall not kill the innocent and the righteous.’
Susanna 1:54Now then, under what tree, and in what part of the garden, did you see them together?” The impious man said, “Under a mastic tree.”
Susanna 1:55The young man said, “You have indeed lied against your own soul, for the angel of the Lord will split your soul today.”
Susanna 1:56He moved this man aside and said to bring the other to him. To this man he said, “Why is your offspring corrupted, like Sidon’s and not like Judah’s? Beauty deceived you, filthy desire!
Susanna 1:57This is how you used to treat the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you because they were afraid. But a daughter of Judah did not endure bearing your disease in lawlessness.
Susanna 1:58Now then, tell me: under what tree, and in what part of the garden, did you catch them being intimate with one another?” He said, “Under a holm-oak.”
Susanna 1:59Daniel said, “Sinner, the angel of the Lord now stands holding his sword, until the people utterly destroy you both, so that he may saw you apart.”
Susanna 1:60–62The whole assembly cried out over the young man, because from their own mouths he had established that both were admittedly false witnesses. As the law prescribes, they did to them what they had wickedly plotted against their sister. They gagged them, took them out, and threw them into a ravine. Then the angel of the Lord cast fire through their midst. Innocent blood was saved that day.
Susanna 1:63For this reason the young are beloved of Jacob in their simplicity. Let us also be attentive to capable young sons, for the young will be devout, and a spirit of knowledge and understanding will be in them forever and ever.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.