Daniel 13

NEW JERUSALEM	JERUSALEM
1 In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim.	1 A Babylone vivait un homme du nom de Ioakim.
2 He was married to a woman called Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and shewas God-fearing, for	2 Il avait épousé une femme du nom de Suzanne, fille d'Helcias; elle était d'une grande beauté etcraignait Dieu,
3 her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses.	3 car ses parents étaient des justes et avaient élevé leur fille dans la loi de Moïse.
4 Joakim 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.	4 Ioakim était fort riche, un jardin était proche de sa maison, et les Juifs se rendaient chez lui en grandnombre, car on l'estimait plus que tout autre.
5 Two 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.'	5 Cette année-là, on avait choisi dans le peuple deux vieillards qu'on avait désignés comme juges.C'est eux que vise la parole du Seigneur: "L'iniquité est venue en Babylone des vieillards et des juges qui sedonnaient pour guides du peuple."
6 These men were often at Joakim's house, and all who were engaged in litigation used to come tothem.	6 Ces gens fréquentaient la maison de Ioakim et tous ceux qui avaient quelque procès s'adressaient àeux.
7 At midday, when the people had gone away, Susanna would take a walk in her husband's garden.	7 Lorsque tout le monde s'était retiré, vers midi, Suzanne venait se promener dans le jardin de sonépoux.
8 The two elders, who used to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradual y began todesire her.	8 Les deux vieillards qui la voyaient tous les jours entrer pour sa promenade se mirent à la désirer.
9 They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to Heaven, and forgetting the demands ofvirtue.	9 Ils en perdirent le sens, négligeant de regarder vers le Ciel et oubliant ses justes jugements.
10 Both were inflamed by passion for her, but they hid their desire from each other,	10 Tous deux blessés de cette passion, ils se cachaient l'un à l'autre leur tourment.
11 for they were ashamed to admit the longing to sleep with her,	11 Honteux d'avouer le désir qui les pressait de coucher avec elle,
12 but they made sure of watching her every day.	12 ils n'en rusaient pas moins chaque jour pour la voir.
13 One day, having parted with the words, 'Let us go home, then, it is time for the midday meal,' theywent off in different directions,	13 Un jour, s'étant quittés sur ces mots: "Rentrons chez nous, c'est l'heure du déjeuner", et chacun s'enétant allé de son côté,
14 only 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.	14 chacun aussi revint sur ses pas et ils se retrouvèrent face à face. Forcés alors de s'expliquer, ilss'avouèrent leur passion et convinrent de chercher le moment où ils pourraient surprendre Suzanne seule.
15 So 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.	15 Ils attendaient donc l'occasion favorable. Un jour, Suzanne vint, comme les jours précédents,accompagnée seulement de deux petites servantes, et, comme il faisait chaud, elle voulut se baigner au jardin.
16 There was no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place.	16 Il n'y avait personne: seuls les deux vieillards, cachés, étaient aux aguets.
17 She said to the servants, 'Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door while I bathe.'	17 Elle dit aux servantes: "Apportez-moi de l'huile et du baume, et fermez la porte du jardin, afin queje puisse me baigner."
18 They 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.	18 Elles obéirent, fermèrent la porte du jardin, et rentrèrent dans la maison par une porte latérale poury chercher ce que Suzanne avait demandé, sans rien savoir des vieillards qui se tenaient cachés.
19 Hardly were the maids gone than the two elders sprang up and rushed upon her.	19 A peine les servantes étaient-elles parties, qu'ils furent debout et lui dirent, en se jetant sur elle:
20 'Look,' they said, 'the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give in andlet us!	20 "La porte du jardin est close, personne ne nous voit. Nous te désirons, cède et couche avec nous!
21 Refuse, and we shal both give evidence that a young man was with you and that this was why yousent your maids away.'
22 Susanna 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.
23 But I prefer to fal innocent into your power than to sin in the eyes of the Lord.'
24 She then cried out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame onher,
25 and one of them ran to open the garden door.
26 The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance to see what hadhappened to her.
27 Once the elders had told their story, the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of thissort had ever been said of Susanna.
28 Next 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.
29 They addressed the company, 'Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.' She wassent for,
30 and came accompanied by her parents, her children and al her relations.
31 Susanna was very graceful and beautiful to look at;
32 she was veiled, so the wretches made her unveil in order to feast their eyes on her beauty.
33 Al her own people were weeping, and so were al the others who saw her.
34 The two elders stood up, with al the people round them, and laid their hands on her head.
35 Tearful y she turned her eyes to Heaven, her heart confident in God.
36 The 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.
37 A young man, who had been hiding, went over to her and they lay together.
38 From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towardsthem.
39 Though 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.
40 We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was.
41 She 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.
42 She cried out as loud as she could, 'Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before ithappens;
43 you 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!'
44 The Lord heard her cry
45 and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy called Daniel
46 who began to shout, 'I am innocent of this woman's death!'
47 At this al the people turned to him and asked, 'What do you mean by that?'
48 Standing 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?
49 Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.'
50 Al 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.'
51 Daniel said, 'Keep the men wel apart from each other, for I want to question them.'
52 When 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,
53 you 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."
54 Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tel me what sort of tree you saw them lying under.' Hereplied, 'Under an acacia tree.'
55 Daniel 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.'
56 He 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!
57 This 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!
58 Now then, tel me what sort of tree you surprised them under.' He replied, 'Under an aspen tree.'
59 Daniel 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.'
60 Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the Saviour of those who trust in him.
61 And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of their ownmouths.
62 As 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.
63 Hilkiah 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.
64 From that day onwards, Daniel's reputation stood high with the people.