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CAP 13
1 A man was in Babiloyne, and his name was Joachim.
2 And he took a wijf, Susanne bi name, the douyter of Helchie, a womman ful fair, and dredynge the Lord.
3 Forsothe hir fadir and modir, whanne thei weren riytful, tauyten her douyter bi the lawe of Moises.
4 Sotheli Joachim was ful riche, and he hadde a gardyn niy his hous; and the Jewis camen to hym, for he was the moost worschipful of alle.
5 And tweyne elde men weren ordeyned iugis in that yeer, of whiche the Lord spak, that wickidnesse yede out of Babiloyne, of the eldere iugis that semeden to gouerne the puple.
6 These iugis vsiden oft the hous of Joachym; and alle men that hadden domes camen to hem.
7 Forsothe whanne the puple hadde turned ayen after myddai, Susanne entride, and walkide in the gardyn of hir hosebonde.
8 And the eldre men siyen hir entrynge ech dai, and walkynge; and thei brenten out in to `the couetise of hir.
9 And thei turneden awei her wit, and bowiden doun her iyen, that thei siyen not heuene, nether bithouyten on iust domes.
10 Sotheli bothe weren woundid bi the loue of hir, and thei schewiden not her sorewe to hem silf togidere;
11 for thei weren aschamed to schewe to hem silf her coueitise, willynge to ligge fleischli bi hir.
12 And thei aspieden ech dai more bisili to se hir.
13 And oon seide to the tothir, Go we hoom, for the our of mete is. And thei yeden out, and departiden fro hem silf.
14 And whanne thei hadden turned ayen, thei camen in to o place; and thei axiden ech of othere the cause, and thei knoulechiden her coueitise. And thanne in comyn thei ordeyneden a tyme, whanne thei miyten fynde hir aloone.
15 Forsothe it was doon, whanne thei aspieden a couenable dai, sche entride sumtyme, as yistirdai and the thridde dai ago, with twei damysels aloone, and wolde be waischun in the gardyn; for whi heete was.
16 And no man was there, outakun tweyne elde men hid, biholdynge hir.
17 Therfor sche saide to the damysels, Bringe ye to me oile, and oynementis; and close ye the doris of the gardyn, that Y be waischun.
18 And thei diden as sche `hadde comaundid; and thei closiden the doris of the gardyn, and yeden out bi a posterne, to bringe tho thingis that sche hadde comaundid. And thei wisten not, that the elde men weren hid with ynne.
19 Sotheli whanne the damysels weren gon out, tweyne elde men risiden, and runnen to hir, and seiden, Lo!
20 the doris of the gardyn ben closid, and no man seeth vs, and we ben in `the coueitise of thee. Wherfor assente thou to vs, and be thou meddlid with vs.
21 That if thou wolt not, we schulen seie witnessyng ayens thee, that a yong man was with thee, and for this cause thou sentist out the damesels fro thee.
22 And Susanne inwardli sorewide, and seide, Angwischis ben to me on ech side; for if Y do this, deth is to me; forsothe if Y do not, Y schal not ascape youre hondis.
23 But it is betere for me to falle in to youre hondis without werk, than to do synne in the siyt of the Lord.
24 And Susanne criede `an hiy with greet vois, but also the elde men crieden ayens hir.
25 Forsothe oon ran, and openede the door of the gardyn.
26 Sotheli whanne the seruauntis of the hous hadden herd the cry in the gardyn, thei fellen in bi the posterne, to se what it was.
27 But after that the elde men spaken, the seruauntis weren aschamed greetly, for neuer was siche a word seid of Susanne. And the morew dai was maad.
28 And whanne the puple was comyn to Joachym, hir hosebonde, also the twei prestis fulle of wickid thouyte camen ayens Susanne, for to sle hir.
29 And thei seiden bifor al the puple, Sende ye to Susanne, the douyter of Helchie, the wijf of Joachym. And anoon thei senten.
30 And sche cam with hir fadir, and modir, and children, and alle kynesmen.
31 Certis Susanne was ful delicat, and fair of schap.
32 And tho wickid men comaundiden, that sche schulde be vnhilid, for sche was kyuered; that nameli so thei schuldun be fillid of hir fairnesse.
33 Therfor hir kynesmen wepten, and alle that knewen hir.
34 Forsothe the twei prestis risiden togidere in the myddis of the puple, and settiden her hondis on the heed of hir.
35 And sche wepte, and bihelde to heuene, and hir herte hadde trist in the Lord.
36 And the prestis seiden, Whanne we walkiden aloone in the gardyn, this Susanne entride with twei damesels; and sche closide the dore of the gardyn, and lefte the damesels.
37 And a yong man, that was hid, cam to hir, and lai bi hir.
38 Certis whanne we weren in a corner of the gardyn, we sien the wickidnesse, and runnen to hem, and we sien hem meddlid togidere.
39 And sotheli we myyten not take hym, for he was strongere than we; and whanne he hadde opened the doris, he skippide out.
40 But whanne we hadde take this womman, we axiden, who was the yonge man; and sche nolde schewe to vs. Of this thing we ben witnessis.
41 The multitude bileuede to hem, as to the eldre men and iugis of the puple, and condempneden hir to deth.
42 Forsothe Susanne criede loud with greet vois, and seide, Lord God, without bigynnyng and ende, that art knowere of hid thingis, that knowist alle thingis bifore that tho ben don;
43 thou wost, that thei han bore fals witnessyng ayens me. And lo! Y dye, whanne Y haue not do ony of these thingis, whiche these men han maad maliciously ayens me.
44 Forsothe the Lord herde the vois of hir.
45 And whanne she was led to the deth, the Lord reiside the hooli spirit of a yonge child, whos name was Danyel.
46 And he criede loude with a greet vois, Y am cleene of the blood of this womman.
47 And al the puple turned ayen to hym, and seide, What is this word, which thou hast spoke?
48 And whanne he stood in the myddis of hem, he seide, So ye, fonned children of Israel, not demynge nether knowynge that that is trewe, condempneden the douyter of Israel.
49 Turne ye ayen to the dom, for thei spaken fals witnessyng ayens hir.
50 Therfor the puple turnede ayen with haaste. And the elde men seiden to hym, Come thou, and sitte in the myddis of vs, and schewe to vs; for God hath youe to thee the onour of eelde.
51 And Danyel seide to hem, Departe ye hem atwynny fer, and Y schal deme hem.
52 Therfor, whanne thei weren departid oon fro the tother, he clepide oon of hem, and seide to hym, Thou elde man of yuel daies, now thi synnes ben comun, whiche thou wrouytist bifore,
53 demynge vniust domes, oppressynge innocentis, and delyuerynge gilti men, whanne the Lord seith, Thou schalt not sle an innocent and iust man.
54 But now if thou siest hir, seie thou, vndur what tree thou siest hem spekynge togidere to hem silf? Which seide, Vndur an haw tree.
55 Forsothe Danyel seide, Riytli thou liest in thin heed; for lo! the angel of the Lord, bi a sentence takun of hym, schal kitte thee bi the myddil.
56 And whanne he was stirid awei, he comaundide the tother to come, and seide to hym, Thou seed of Canaan, and not of Juda, fairnesse hath disseyued thee, and coueitise hath misturned thin herte;
57 thus ye diden to the douytris of Israel, and thei dredden, and spaken to you, but the douyter of Juda suffride not youre wickidnesse.
58 Now therfor seie thou to me, vndur what tree thou siest hem spekynge togidere to hem silf?
59 Which seide, Vndur a blak thorn. Forsothe Danyel seide to hym, Riytli also thou liest in thin heed; for the aungel of the Lord dwellith, and hath a swerd, that he kitte thee bi the myddil, and sle you.
60 Therfor al the puple criede lowde with greet vois, and blessiden `the Lord, that saueth hem that hopen in hym.
61 And thei risiden togidere ayens the twei preestis; for Danyel hadde conuyctid hem bi her mouth, that thei hadden bore fals witnessyng; and thei diden to hem, as thei hadden do yuele ayens the neiyboresse,
62 that thei schulden do bi the lawe of Moises, and thei killiden hem. And giltles blood was sauyd in that dai.
63 Forsothe Helchie and his wijf herieden the Lord in that day, for Susanne, her douyter, with Joachym, hir hosebonde, and with alle hir kynesmen, for a foul thing was not foundun in hir.
64 Forsothe Danyel was maad greet in the siyt of the puple, fro that dai and afterward.
65 And kyng Astriages was put to his fadris, and Sirus of Perseis took his rewme.
1 Forsothe Danyel eet with the kyng, and was onourid aboue alle the frendis of hym.