Daniel 13— Septuagint (LXX)

There was a man dwelling in Babylon, and his name was Joakim.

Greek (Th): Καὶ ἦν ἀνὴρ οἰκῶν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ιωακιμ

He married a woman named Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah — a woman of great beauty and one who feared the LORD.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἔλαβεν γυναῖκα ᾗ ὄνομα Σουσαννα θυγάτηρ Χελκιου

Her parents were righteous people, and they had raised their daughter according to the Law of Moses.

Greek (Th): καὶ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτῆς δίκαιοι

Now Joakim was exceedingly wealthy, and he had a garden adjoining his house.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἦν Ιωακιμ πλούσιος σφόδρα

The Jews would come to him because he was the most honored of them all.

Greek (Th): καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν προσήρχοντο οἱ Ιουδαῖοι

In that year, two elders from among the people were appointed as judges.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀπεδείχθησαν δύο πρεσβύτεροι ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ κριταί

Concerning these the Lord had said: 'Lawlessness went out from Babylon, from elders who were judges and who were supposed to govern the people.'

Greek (Th): περὶ ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ δεσπότης ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἀνομία ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος

These men spent much time at Joakim's house, and all who had disputes to settle came before them.

Greek (Th): οὗτοι προσεκαρτέρουν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ Ιωακιμ

And it happened that when the people departed at midday, Susanna would enter her husband's garden to walk.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα ἀπέτρεχεν ὁ λαός

The two elders would watch her day after day as she entered and walked about, and they were consumed with desire for her.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐθεώρουν αὐτὴν οἱ δύο πρεσβύτεροι

They corrupted their own minds and turned their eyes away from looking toward heaven.

Greek (Th): καὶ διέστρεψαν τὸν νοῦν αὐτῶν

Both were pierced with passion for her, yet neither revealed his torment to the other,

Greek (Th): καὶ ἦσαν ἀμφότεροι κατανενυγμένοι περὶ αὐτῆς

for they were ashamed to confess their lust and their desire to seduce her.

Greek (Th): ὅτι ᾐσχύνοντο ἀναγγεῖλαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτῶν

And day after day they watched eagerly for a chance to see her.

Greek (Th): καὶ παρετηροῦσαν φιλοτίμως καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὁρᾶν αὐτήν

Then one said to the other, 'Let us go home, for it is mealtime.'

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπαν ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον

So they went out and parted from one another.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐξελθόντες διεχωρίσθησαν ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων

But each doubled back, and when they met again they pressed each other for the reason, and they confessed their desire.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀνακάμψαντες ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό

Then together they arranged a time when they might find her alone.

Greek (Th): καὶ τότε κοινῇ συνετάξαντο καιρόν

And it happened, as they watched for a fitting day, she entered the garden as before with only two servant girls.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ παρατηρεῖν αὐτοὺς ἡμέραν εὔθετον

She wished to bathe in the garden, for the day was hot.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐπεθύμησεν λούσασθαι ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ

And no one was there besides the two elders, who had concealed themselves and were watching her.

Greek (Th): καὶ οὐκ ἦν οὐδεὶς ἐκεῖ πλὴν οἱ δύο πρεσβύτεροι

She said to the servant girls, 'Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the garden gates so that I may bathe.'

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς κορασίοις

They did as she instructed: they shut the garden gates and went out by the side doors to bring what she had requested.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐποίησαν καθὼς εἶπεν

When the servants had gone out, the two elders sprang up and ran to her.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀνέδραμον οἱ δύο πρεσβύτεροι

And they said, 'Look — the garden gates are shut and no one can see us. We are on fire with desire for you.

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπον Ἰδοὺ αἱ θύραι τοῦ παραδείσου κέκλεινται

Give in to us and lie with us.

Greek (Th): συγκατάθου οὖν ἡμῖν καὶ γενοῦ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν

If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and that is why you sent your servants away.'

Greek (Th): εἰ δὲ μή, καταμαρτυρήσομέν σου

Susanna groaned deeply and said, 'I am hemmed in on every side.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀνεστέναξεν Σουσαννα

For if I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I will not escape your hands.

Greek (Th): ἐάν τε γὰρ τοῦτο πράξω θάνατός μοί ἐστιν

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

Greek (Th): αἱρετόν μοί ἐστιν μὴ πράξασαν ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν

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

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀνεβόησεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ Σουσαννα

And one of them ran and opened the garden gates.

Greek (Th): καὶ δραμὼν ὁ εἷς ἤνοιξεν τὰς θύρας τοῦ παραδείσου

When the servants of the household heard the outcry in the garden, they rushed in through the side door to see what had happened to her.

Greek (Th): ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν τὴν κραυγὴν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ οἱ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας

When the elders gave their account, the servants were deeply ashamed, for never had such a thing been said about Susanna.

Greek (Th): ὡς δὲ εἶπαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν

The next day, when the people assembled at the house of her husband Joakim, the two elders came,

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἐπαύριον ὡς συνῆλθεν ὁ λαός

full of their lawless purpose to have Susanna put to death.

Greek (Th): πλήρεις τῆς ἀνόμου ἐννοίας κατὰ Σουσαννης τοῦ θανατῶσαι αὐτήν

They said before the people, 'Send for Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah, wife of Joakim.' And they sent for her.

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπαν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ λαοῦ

She came, along with her parents, her children, and all her relatives.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἦλθεν αὐτὴ καὶ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς

Now Susanna was exceedingly delicate and beautiful to behold.

Greek (Th): ἡ δὲ Σουσαννα ἦν τρυφερὰ σφόδρα

The lawless men commanded that her face be uncovered — for she was veiled — so that they might gorge themselves on her beauty.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐκέλευσαν οἱ παράνομοι ἀποκαλυφθῆναι αὐτήν

And all who were with her, and all who knew her, were weeping.

Greek (Th): ἔκλαιον δὲ οἱ παρ᾽ αὐτῆς καὶ πάντες οἱ γνόντες αὐτήν

Then the two elders rose in the midst of the people and placed their hands on her head.

Greek (Th): ἀναστάντες δὲ οἱ δύο πρεσβύτεροι ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ ἔθηκαν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς

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

Greek (Th): ἡ δὲ κλαίουσα ἀνέβλεψεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν

The elders said, 'As we were walking alone in the garden, this woman entered with two servants.'

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι

'She shut the garden gates and dismissed the servants.'

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀπέκλεισεν τὰς θύρας τοῦ παραδείσου καὶ ἀπέλυσεν τὰ κοράσια

'Then a young man who had been hiding came to her, and he lay with her.'

Greek (Th): καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὴν νεανίσκος ὃς ἦν κεκρυμμένος

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

Greek (Th): ἡμεῖς δὲ ὄντες ἐν τῇ γωνίᾳ τοῦ παραδείσου

'And though we saw them together, we could not restrain the man, for he was stronger than us.',

Greek (Th): καὶ ἰδόντες συγγινομένους αὐτούς

'He opened the gates and dashed out.'

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀνοίξας τὰς θύρας ἐξήλατο

'We then seized this woman and demanded to know who the young man was, but she would not tell us.'

Greek (Th): ταύτην δὲ συλλαβόντες ἐπηρωτῶμεν τίς ἦν ὁ νεανίσκος

'To these things we testify.' And the assembly believed them, because they were elders of the people and judges, and they condemned her to death.

Greek (Th): ταῦτα μαρτυροῦμεν

Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, 'O eternal God, you who know all secrets and know all things before they come to be —

Greek (Th): ἀνεβόησεν δὲ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ Σουσαννα

you know that they have testified falsely against me. And now I am about to die, though I have done none of the things these men have charged against me!'

Greek (Th): σὺ ἐπίστασαι ὅτι ψευδῆ μου κατεμαρτύρησαν

And the Lord heard her cry.

Greek (Th): καὶ εἰσήκουσεν κύριος τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῆς

And as she was being led away to be put to death, God roused the holy spirit of a young boy whose name was Daniel.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀπαγομένης αὐτῆς ἀπολέσθαι ἐξήγειρεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον παιδαρίου νεωτέρου ᾧ ὄνομα Δανιηλ

And he cried out with a loud voice, 'I am innocent of this woman's blood!'

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐβόησεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ

Then all the people turned to him and said, 'What is this that you have said?'

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτόν

Standing in their midst, he said, 'Are you such fools, O sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without examination and without learning the truth?

Greek (Th): καὶ στὰς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν εἶπεν

Return to the place of judgment, for these men have testified falsely against her.'

Greek (Th): ἐπιστρέψατε εἰς τὸ κριτήριον

And all the people returned in haste. The other elders said to Daniel, 'Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you the standing of an elder.'

Greek (Th): καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πᾶς ὁ λαός

Daniel said to them, 'Separate them far from one another, and I will examine them.'

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Δανιηλ Διαχωρίσατε αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων

He said to the first elder, 'Under what kind of tree did you see them together?' He answered, 'Under a mastic tree.'

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπεν τῷ πρώτῳ Ὑπὸ τί δένδρον εἶδες αὐτοὺς ὁμιλοῦντας

He said to the second elder, 'Under what kind of tree did you catch them together?' He answered, 'Under an evergreen oak.'

Greek (Th): καὶ εἶπεν τῷ δευτέρῳ Ὑπὸ τί δένδρον κατέλαβες αὐτοὺς ὁμιλοῦντας

Then the whole assembly raised a great shout and blessed God, who saves those who place their hope in him. And they rose up against the two elders — for Daniel had convicted them out of their own mouths of bearing false witness — 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. And innocent blood was saved that day.

Greek (Th): καὶ ἀνεβόησεν πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγή