Now there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joakim:

Et erat vir habitans in Babylone, et nomen ejus Joakim:

There was a man called Joakim living in Babylon,

And he took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God.

et accepit uxorem nomine Susannam, filiam Helciæ, pulchram nimis, et timentem Deum:

married to one Susanna, daughter of Helcias. This was a woman of great beauty, and one that feared God,

For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter according to the law of Moses.

parentes enim illius, cum essent justi, erudierunt filiam suam secundum legem Moysi.

so well had her parents, religious folk, schooled their daughter in the law of Moses.

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.

Erat autem Joakim dives valde, et erat ei pomarium vicinum domui suæ: et ad ipsum confluebant Judæi, eo quod esset honorabilior omnium.

A rich man was Joakim, and had a fruit-garden close to his house; and he was much visited by the Jews, among whom there was none more honoured than he.

And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said: Iniquity came out from Babylon from the ancient judges, that seemed to govern the people.

Et constituti sunt de populo duo senes judices in illo anno, de quibus locutus est Dominus: Quia egressa est iniquitas de Babylone a senioribus judicibus, qui videbantur regere populum.

There came a year in which those two elders of the people were appointed judges, of whom the Lord said, Wickedness has sprung up in Babylon, and the roots of it are those elders and judges who claim to rule the people.

These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had any matters of judgment came to them.

Isti frequentabant domum Joakim, et veniebant ad eos omnes qui habebant judicia.

These two were often at Joakim’s house, and all those who had disputes to settle appeared before them there.

And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband’s orchard.

Cum autem populus revertisset per meridiem, ingrediebatur Susanna, et deambulabat in pomario viri sui.

At noon, when the common folk had returned home, Susanna would walk about in her husband’s garden,

And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards her:

Et videbant eam senes quotidie ingredientem et deambulantem, et exarserunt in concupiscentiam ejus:

and these two elders, who saw her go in and walk there day after day, fell to lusting after her.

And they perverted their own mind and turned away their eyes that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.

et everterunt sensum suum, et declinaverunt oculos suos ut non viderent cælum, neque recordarentur judiciorum justorum.

Reason they dethroned, and turned away their eyes from the sight of heaven; its just awards they would fain have forgotten.

So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known their grief one to the other:

Erant ergo ambo vulnerati amore ejus, nec indicaverunt sibi vicissim dolorem suum:

The love that tortured both, neither to other would disclose;

For they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust, being desirous to have to do with her.

erubescebant enim indicare sibi concupiscentiam suam, volentes concumbere cum ea.

confess it for very shame they might not, this hankering after a woman’s favours;

And they watched carefully every day to see her. And one said to the other:

Et observabant quotidie sollicitius videre eam. Dixitque alter ad alterum:

yet day after day they seized the opportunity to have sight of her. A day came at last when one said to the other,

Let us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going out they departed one from another.

Eamus domum, quia hora prandii est. Et egressi, recesserunt a se.

Home go we, it is dinner-time; and go they did, taking their several ways;

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 upon a time, when they might find her alone.

Cumque revertissent, venerunt in unum: et sciscitantes ab invicem causam, confessi sunt concupiscentiam suam: et tunc in communi statuerunt tempus quando eam possent invenire solam.

yet both returned hot-foot to their watching-place, and there met one another. So there was questioning on both sides, and out came the story of their lust; and now they made common cause; at a suitable time they would waylay her together, when she was alone.

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.

Factum est autem, cum observarent diem aptum, ingressa est aliquando sicut heri et nudiustertius, cum duabus solis puellis, voluitque lavari in pomario: æstus quippe erat:

They watched, then, for their opportunity; and she, as her custom was, went out one day with two of her maids, and had a mind to bathe, there in the garden, for it was summer weather,

And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves and were beholding her.

et non erat ibi quisquam, præter duos senes absconditos, et contemplantes eam.

and none was by except the two elders; and they were in hiding, watching her.

So she said to the maids: Bring me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me.

Dixit ergo puellis: Afferte mihi oleum, et smigmata, et ostia pomarii claudite, ut laver.

So she bade her servants go and bring her oil and soap, and shut the garden door while she was a-bathing.

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.

Et fecerunt sicut præceperat: clauseruntque ostia pomarii, et egressæ sunt per posticum ut afferrent quæ jusserat; nesciebantque senes intus esse absconditos.

Her whim was obeyed; shut the door of the garden they did, and went out by a back entrance to bring her what she had asked for; they knew nothing of the elders that were hiding there within.

Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose, and ran to her, and said:

Cum autem egressæ essent puellæ, surrexerunt duo senes, et accurrerunt ad eam, et dixerunt:

And these two, as soon as the servants were gone, rose from their hiding-place and ran to her side.

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.

Ecce ostia pomarii clausa sunt, et nemo nos videt, et nos in concupiscentia tui sumus: quam ob rem assentire nobis, et commiscere nobiscum.

See, they told her, the garden door is shut, and there is no witness by. We are both smitten with a desire for thy favours; come, then, let us enjoy thee.

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.

Quod si nolueris, dicemus contra te testimonium, quod fuerit tecum juvenis, et ob hanc causam emiseris puellas a te.

Refuse, and we will bear witness that thou hadst a gallant here, and this was the reason thou wouldst rid thyself of thy hand-maidens’ company.

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.

Ingemuit Susanna, et ait: Angustiæ sunt mihi undique: si enim hoc egero, mors mihi est: si autem non egero, non effugiam manus vestras.

Whereupon Susanna groaned deeply; There is no escape for me, she said, either way. It is death if I consent, and if I refuse, I shall be at your mercy.

But it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.

Sed melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus vestras, quam peccare in conspectu Domini.

Let me rather fall into your power through no act of mine, than commit sin in the Lord’s sight.

With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out against her.

Et exclamavit voce magna Susanna: exclamaverunt autem et senes adversus eam.

With that, Susanna cried aloud, and the elders, too, began crying shame on her;

And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and opened it.

Et cucurrit unus ad ostia pomarii, et aperuit.

meanwhile, one of them ran to the garden door and opened it.

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.

Cum ergo audissent clamorem famuli domus in pomario, irruerunt per posticum ut viderent quidnam esset.

And now the servants of the house, hearing such outcry in the garden, came running in through the back entrance to know what was afoot;

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,

Postquam autem senes locuti sunt, erubuerunt servi vehementer, quia numquam dictus fuerat sermo hujuscemodi de Susanna. Et facta est dies crastina.

and they were greatly abashed when the elders told their story; never before had Susanna been defamed thus.When the morrow came,

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.

Cumque venisset populus ad Joakim virum ejus, venerunt et duo presbyteri, pleni iniqua cogitatione adversus Susannam ut interficerent eam.

there was a throng of people in Joakim’s house, and the two elders were there, intent upon their malicious design against Susanna’s life.

And they said before the people: Send to Susanna daughter of Helcias the wife of Joakim. And presently they sent.

Et dixerunt coram populo: Mittite ad Susannam filiam Helciæ uxorem Joakim. Et statim miserunt.

They asked publicly that Susanna, daughter of Helcias and wife to Joakim, should be sent for; sent for she was,

And she came with her parents, and children, and all her kindred.

Et venit cum parentibus, et filiis, et universis cognatis suis.

and came out with her parents and her children and all her kindred.

Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold.

Porro Susanna erat delicata nimis, et pulchra specie.

So dainty she was, and so fair,

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.

At iniqui illi jusserunt ut discooperiretur (erat enim cooperta), ut vel sic satiarentur decore ejus.

these two knaves would have her let down her veil, the better to enjoy the sight of her charms.

Therefore her friends and all her acquaintance wept.

Flebant igitur sui, et omnes qui noverant eam.

All her friends, all her acquaintances, were in tears.

But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people, laid their hands upon her head.

Consurgentes autem duo presbyteri in medio populi, posuerunt manus suas super caput ejus.

Then the two elders rose amidst the throng, and laid their hands upon Susanna’s head,

And she weeping looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord.

Quæ flens suspexit ad cælum: erat enim cor ejus fiduciam habens in Domino.

while she, weeping, looked up to heaven, in token that her heart had not lost confidence in the Lord.

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.

Et dixerunt presbyteri: Cum deambularemus in pomario soli, ingressa est hæc cum duabus puellis: et clausit ostia pomarii, et dimisit a se puellas.

We were walking in the garden apart, said the elders, when this woman came out with two hand-maidens. She had the garden door shut close, and sent the maidens away;

Then a young man that was there hid came to her, and lay with her.

Venitque ad eam adolescens, qui erat absconditus, et concubuit cum ea.

whereupon a young man, who had been in hiding till then, came out and had his will with her.

But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.

Porro nos cum essemus in angulo pomarii, videntes iniquitatem, cucurrimus ad eos, et vidimus eos pariter commisceri.

We, from a nook in the garden, saw what foul deed was being done, and ran up close, so that we had full view of their dalliance;

And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than us, and opening the doors he leaped out:

Et illum quidem non quivimus comprehendere, quia fortior nobis erat, et apertis ostiis exilivit:

but lay hold of the man we could not; he was too strong for us, opening the garden door and springing out.

But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses.

hanc autem cum apprehendissemus, interrogavimus, quisnam esset adolescens, et noluit indicare nobis: hujus rei testes sumus.

The woman we caught, and asked her who her gallant was, but she would not tell us. To all this, we bear witness.

The multitude believed them as being the elders and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death.

Credidit eis multitudo quasi senibus et judicibus populi, et condemnaverunt eam ad mortem.

They were elders, they were judges of the people, and they persuaded the assembly, without more ado, to pass the death sentence.

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,

Exclamavit autem voce magna Susanna, et dixit: Deus æterne, qui absconditorum es cognitor, qui nosti omnia antequam fiant,

Whereupon Susanna cried aloud, Eternal God, no secret is hidden from thee, nothing comes to pass without thy foreknowledge.

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.

tu scis quoniam falsum testimonium tulerunt contra me: et ecce morior, cum nihil horum fecerim, quæ isti malitiose composuerunt adversum me.

Thou knowest that these men have borne false witness against me; wilt thou let me die, a woman innocent of all the charges their malice has invented?

And the Lord heard her voice.

Exaudivit autem Dominus vocem ejus.

And the Lord listened to her plea;

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.

Cumque duceretur ad mortem, suscitavit Dominus spiritum sanctum pueri junioris, cujus nomen Daniel:

even as she was being led off to her death, all at once he roused to utterance the holy spirit that dwelt in a young boy there, called Daniel.

And he cried out with a loud voice: I am clear from the blood of this woman.

et exclamavit voce magna: Mundus ego sum a sanguine hujus.

This Daniel raised his voice and cried out, I will be no party to the death of this woman;

Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said: What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?

Et conversus omnis populus ad eum, dixit: Quis est iste sermo, quem tu locutus es?

and when all the people turned upon him, asking what he meant,

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?

Qui cum staret in medio eorum, ait: Sic fatui filii Israël, non judicantes, neque quod verum est cognoscentes, condemnastis filiam Israël?

he stood there in their midst, and said, Are you such fools, men of Israel, as to condemn an Israelite woman without trial, without investigation of the truth?

Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her.

revertimini ad judicium, quia falsum testimonium locuti sunt adversus eam.

Go back to the place of judgement; the witness they have borne against her is false witness.

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.

Reversus est ergo populus cum festinatione, et dixerunt ei senes: Veni, et sede in medio nostrum, et indica nobis: quia tibi Deus dedit honorem senectutis.

Eagerly enough the people went back, and the elders would have Daniel sit with them, such credit God had given him beyond his years.

And Daniel said to the people: Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them.

Et dixit ad eos Daniel: Separate illos ab invicem procul, et dijudicabo eos.

He bade them part the two men, at a distance from each other, while he questioned them.

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:

Cum ergo divisi essent alter ab altero, vocavit unum de eis, et dixit ad eum: Inveterate dierum malorum, nunc venerunt peccata tua, quæ operabaris prius:

So parted they were, and when the first was summoned, thus Daniel greeted him: Grown so old in years, and years ill spent! Now, that past sinning of thine has found thee out,

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.

judicans judicia injusta, innocentes opprimens, et dimittens noxios, dicente Domino: Innocentem et justum non interficies.

a man that perverts justice, persecutes innocence, and lets the guilty go free. Has not the Lord said, Never shalt thou put the innocent man, the upright man, to death?

Now then, if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together. He said: Under a mastic tree.

Nunc ergo, si vidisti eam, dic sub qua arbore videris eos colloquentes sibi. Qui ait: Sub schino.

Thou foundest her; good; they met under a tree; tell us what kind of tree. And he answered, Under a mastic-tree I surprised them.

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.

Dixit autem Daniel: Recte mentitus es in caput tuum: ecce enim angelus Dei, accepta sententia ab eo, scindet te medium.

The right word! cried Daniel; prized asunder thyself shall be, when God bids his angel requite thee for this calumny.

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:

Et, amoto eo, jussit venire alium, et dixit ei: Semen Chanaan, et non Juda, species decepit te, et concupiscentia subvertit cor tuum:

Then he had this one removed, and bade the other come near. Brood of Chanaan, said he, and no true son of Juda, so beauty ensnared thee? So lust drove thy heart astray?

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.

sic faciebatis filiabus Israël, et illæ timentes loquebantur vobis: sed filia Juda non sustinuit iniquitatem vestram.

Such approaches you have made, long since, to women of the other tribes, and they, from very fear, admitted your suit; but you could not bring a woman of Juda to fall in with your wicked design.

Now therefore tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together. And he answered: Under a holm tree.

Nunc ergo, dic mihi sub qua arbore comprehenderis eos loquentes sibi. Qui ait: Sub prino.

And now tell me, under what tree it was thou didst find them talking together? Under a holm-oak, said he, I saw them.

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.

Dixit autem ei Daniel: Recte mentitus es et tu in caput tuum: manet enim angelus Domini, gladium habens, ut secet te medium, et interficiat vos.

The right word again! cried Daniel. Saw thee asunder the angel of the Lord will, with the sharp blade he carries yonder; you are both dead men.

With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him.

Exclamavit itaque omnis cœtus voce magna, et benedixerunt Deum, qui salvat sperantes in se.

And with that, the whole multitude cried aloud, blessing God that is the deliverer of those who trust in him.

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,

Et consurrexerunt adversus duos presbyteros (convicerat enim eos Daniel ex ore suo falsum dixisse testimonium), feceruntque eis sicut male egerant adversus proximum,

And they turned on the two elders, by Daniel’s questioning self-convicted of false witness; served they must be as they would have served others,

To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.

ut facerent secundum legem Moysi. Et interfecerunt eos, et salvatus est sanguis innoxius in die illa.

and the law of Moses obeyed; so they put them to death. That day, an innocent life was saved.

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.

Helcias autem et uxor ejus laudaverunt Deum pro filia sua Susanna cum Joakim marito ejus, et cognatis omnibus, quia non esset inventa in ea res turpis.

Good cause had Helcias and his wife to praise God for their daughter Susanna, good cause had Joakim and all his friends; no breath of suspicion assailed her now.

And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, and thenceforward.

Daniel autem factus est magnus in conspectu populi a die illa, et deinceps.

And as for Daniel, he was in high favour with all the people from that day forward.

And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom.

Et rex Astyages appositus est ad patres suos, et suscepit Cyrus Perses regnum ejus.

When king Astyages became part of his line, it was Cyrus, the Persian, succeeded him.