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Venerdi, 29 marzo 2024 - Santi Simplicio e Costantino ( Letture di oggi)

Daniel 13


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1In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim.2He was married to a woman called Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and shewas God-fearing, for3her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses.4Joakim was a very rich man and had a garden by his house; he used to be visited by a considerablenumber of the Jews, since he was held in greater respect than any other man.5Two elderly men had been selected from the people, that year, to act as judges. Of such the Lord hadsaid, 'Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as guides to the people.'6These men were often at Joakim's house, and all who were engaged in litigation used to come tothem.7At midday, when the people had gone away, Susanna would take a walk in her husband's garden.8The two elders, who used to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradual y began todesire her.9They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to Heaven, and forgetting the demands ofvirtue.10Both were inflamed by passion for her, but they hid their desire from each other,11for they were ashamed to admit the longing to sleep with her,12but they made sure of watching her every day.13One day, having parted with the words, 'Let us go home, then, it is time for the midday meal,' theywent off in different directions,14only to retrace their steps and find themselves face to face again. Obliged then to explain, theyadmitted their desire and agreed to look for an opportunity of surprising her alone.15So they waited for a favourable moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only bytwo young maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden.16There was no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place.17She said to the servants, 'Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door while I bathe.'18They did as they were told, shutting the garden door and going back to the house by a side entranceto fetch what she had asked for; they knew nothing about the elders, for they had concealed themselves.19Hardly were the maids gone than the two elders sprang up and rushed upon her.20'Look,' they said, 'the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give in andlet us!21Refuse, and we shal both give evidence that a young man was with you and that this was why yousent your maids away.'22Susanna sighed. 'I am trapped,' she said, 'whatever I do. If I agree, it means death for me; if I resist, Icannot get away from you.23But I prefer to fal innocent into your power than to sin in the eyes of the Lord.'24She then cried out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame onher,25and one of them ran to open the garden door.26The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance to see what hadhappened to her.27Once the elders had told their story, the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of thissort had ever been said of Susanna.28Next day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim. The two elders arrived, ful of theirwicked plea against Susanna, to have her put to death.29They addressed the company, 'Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.' She wassent for,30and came accompanied by her parents, her children and al her relations.31Susanna was very graceful and beautiful to look at;32she was veiled, so the wretches made her unveil in order to feast their eyes on her beauty.33Al her own people were weeping, and so were al the others who saw her.34The two elders stood up, with al the people round them, and laid their hands on her head.35Tearful y she turned her eyes to Heaven, her heart confident in God.36The elders then spoke, 'While we were walking by ourselves in the garden, this woman arrived withtwo maids. She shut the garden door and then dismissed the servants.37A young man, who had been hiding, went over to her and they lay together.38From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towardsthem.39Though we saw them together, we were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; heopened the door and took to his heels.40We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was.41She refused to tel us. That is our evidence.' Since they were elders of the people and judges, theassembly accepted their word: Susanna was condemned to death.42She cried out as loud as she could, 'Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before ithappens;43you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now I must die, innocent as I am ofeverything their malice has invented against me!'44The Lord heard her cry45and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy called Daniel46who began to shout, 'I am innocent of this woman's death!'47At this al the people turned to him and asked, 'What do you mean by that?'48Standing in the middle of the crowd, he replied, 'Are you so stupid, children of Israel, as to condemna daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth?49Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.'50Al the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, 'Come and sit with us and tell us what youmean, since God has given you the gifts that elders have.'51Daniel said, 'Keep the men wel apart from each other, for I want to question them.'52When the men had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him. 'You have grown old inwickedness,' he said, 'and now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken you,53you with your unjust judgements, your condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of the guilty,although the Lord has said, "You must not put the innocent and upright to death."54Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tel me what sort of tree you saw them lying under.' Hereplied, 'Under an acacia tree.'55Daniel said, 'Indeed! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God has already received fromhim your sentence and wil cut you in half.'56He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said to him, 'Son of Canaan, not ofJudah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your heart astray!57This is how you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel, and they have been too frightenedto resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach your wickedness!58Now then, tel me what sort of tree you surprised them under.' He replied, 'Under an aspen tree.'59Daniel said, 'Indeed! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting with a sword torend you in half, and destroy the pair of you.'60Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the Saviour of those who trust in him.61And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of their ownmouths.62As the Law of Moses prescribes, they were given the same punishment as they had schemed toinflict on their neighbour. They were put to death. And thus, that day, an innocent life was saved.63Hilkiah and his wife gave thanks to God for their daughter Susanna, and so did her husband Joakimand all his relations, because she had been acquitted of anything dishonourable.64From that day onwards, Daniel's reputation stood high with the people.