There lived a husband in Babylon named Joachim. And he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, very beautiful and fearing God. Her parents were righteous and taught their daughter the law of Moses.
Joachim was very rich, and he had a garden near his house. And the Jews came to him, because he was the most honorable of all. And two elders of the people were appointed judges that year, about whom the Lord said that iniquity came out of Babylon from the elders-judges who seemed to rule the people. They constantly visited Joachim’s house, and everyone who had controversial matters came to them.
When the people left around noon, Susanna entered her husband's garden for a walk. And both elders saw her coming and walking every day, and lust for her was born in them, and they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes, so as not to look at heaven and not remember the righteous judgments. Both of them were wounded by lust for her, but did not reveal their pain to each other, because they were ashamed to announce their lust, that they wanted to copulate with her.
And they diligently watched every day to see her, and said to each other:
- Let's go home, because it's lunch time.
And going out, they separated from each other, and returning, they came to the same place, and when they inquired from each other about the reason for it, they confessed their lust, and then together they appointed a time when they could find her alone.
And it came to pass, as they were waiting for an opportune day, that Susanna came in, just as yesterday and the day before, with only two maids, and wanted to wash herself in the garden, because it was hot. And there was no one there except two elders who hid and guarded her. And she said to the maids:
- Bring me oil and soap, and lock the garden doors so I can wash myself.
They did as she said: they locked the doors of the garden and went out through the side doors to bring what they were ordered to do, and did not see the elders because they were hiding.
And so, when the maids left, the two elders stood up and ran to her and said:
“Behold, the doors of the garden are locked and no one sees us, and we lust for you, so agree with us and stay with us.” If it is not so, then we will testify against you that there was a young man with you, and that is why you sent your maidservants away from you.
Then Susanna moaned and said:
- I feel cramped everywhere; for if I do this, death is mine, and if I do not, I will not escape from your hands. It is better for me not to do this and to fall into your hands than to sin before the Lord.
And Susanna cried with a loud voice; Both elders also shouted against her, and one ran and opened the doors of the garden.
When those in the house heard a scream in the garden, they jumped out the side doors to see what had happened to her. And when the elders said their words, her servants were extremely ashamed, because nothing like that had ever been said about Susanna.
And it happened the next day, when the people gathered to Joachim her husband, both elders came, full of lawless intent against Susanna, to put her to death. And they said before the people:
“Send for Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah, wife of Joachim.”
And they sent it. And she came, and her parents, and her children, and all her relatives. Susanna was very tender and beautiful in face, and these lawless people ordered her face to be opened, since it was closed, in order to be satisfied with her beauty. The relatives and everyone who looked at her cried. And both elders, standing in the midst of the people, put their hands on her head. She looked at the sky in tears, for her heart trusted in the Lord. And the elders said:
“When we were walking through the garden alone, this one came in with two maids and closed the doors of the garden, and sent the maids away; and the young man who was hiding there came to her and lay with her. We, being in the corner of the garden and seeing such lawlessness, ran towards them and saw them copulating, and we could not hold him back, because he was stronger than us and, opening the doors, jumped out. But we captured this one and interrogated who this young man was. But she didn't want to tell us. We bear witness to this.
And the assembly believed them, as elders of the people and judges, and condemned her to death.
Susanna cried out in a loud voice and said:
- Eternal God, who knows the unseen and knows everything before its existence! You know that they falsely testified against me, and now I am dying without having done anything that these people maliciously invented against me.
And the Lord heard her voice. And when she was led to death, God aroused the holy spirit of a young man named Daniel, and he shouted in a loud voice:
- I am clean from her blood!
Then all the people turned to him and said:
-What is that word you said?
Then he stood in the midst of them and said:
“Are you so foolish, sons of Israel, that you condemned the daughter of Israel without examining or knowing the truth?”
Return to court, for these have testified falsely against her. And immediately all the people returned, and the elders said to him:
“Sit down among us and declare to us, because God has given you eldership.”
And Daniel said to them:
- Separate them away from each other, and I will interrogate them.
When they were separated from one another, he called one of them and said to him:
- Having grown old in evil days, now your sins have been revealed, which you committed before, carrying out unrighteous judgments, condemning the innocent and justifying the guilty, while the Lord says: “Thou shalt not put to death the innocent and the righteous.” So, if you saw this, tell me, under what tree did you see them talking to each other?
He said:
- Under mastic.
Daniel said:
- Exactly, you lied on your head; for behold, the Angel of God, having received a decision from God, will cut you in half.
Having removed him, he ordered another to be brought and said to him:
“Tribe of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and lust has corrupted your heart.” This is what you did to the daughters of Israel, and they had fellowship with you out of fear. But the daughter of Judah did not tolerate your iniquity. So, tell me, under what tree did you find them talking to each other?
He said:
- Under the green oak.
Daniel told him:
- Exactly, you lied on your head; for the Angel of God is waiting with a sword to cut you in half, to destroy you.
Then the whole congregation cried out with a loud voice, and blessed God, who saves them that trust in Him, and rose up against the two elders, because Daniel had convicted them through their mouth that they had testified falsely. And they dealt with them as they had plotted against their neighbors, according to the law of Moses, and they killed them. And innocent blood was saved that day.
Hilkiah and his wife glorified God for their daughter Susanna with Joachim her husband and all her relatives, because no shameful deed was found in her.
And Daniel became great before the people from that day forward.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru