Now Joacim was a very rich man, and had a fair garden joining unto his house; and to him resorted the Jews; because he was more honourable than all others.
Yet they watched diligently from day to day to see her.
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And the one said to the other, Let us now go home: for it is dinner time.
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So when they were gone out, they parted the one from the other, and turning back again they came to the same place; and after that they had asked one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust: then appointed they a time both together, when they might find her alone.
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And it fell out, as they watched a fit time, she went in as before with two maids only, and she was desirous to wash herself in the garden: for it was hot.
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And there was nobody there save the two elders, that had hid themselves, and watched her.
Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders rose up, and ran unto her, saying,
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Behold, the garden doors are shut, that no man can see us, and we are in love with thee; therefore consent unto us, and lie with us.
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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.
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Then Susanna sighed, and said, I am straitened on every side: for if I do this thing, it is death unto me: and if I do it not, I cannot escape your hands.
And it came to pass the next day, when the people were assembled to her husband Joacim, the two elders came also full of mischievous imagination against Susanna to put her to death;
thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me, and, behold, I must die; whereas I never did such things as these men have maliciously invented against me.
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And the Lord heard her voice.
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Therefore when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young youth, whose name was Daniel:
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who cried with a loud voice, I am clear from the blood of this woman.
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Then all the people turned them toward him, and said, What mean these words that thou hast spoken?
So he standing in the midst of them said, Are ye such fools, ye sons of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth ye have condemned a daughter of Israel?
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Return again to the place of judgment: for they have borne false witness against her.
Wherefore all the people turned again in haste, and the elders said unto him, Come, sit down among us, and shew it us, seeing God hath given thee the honour of an elder.
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Then said Daniel unto them, Put these two aside one far from another, and I will examine them.
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So when they were put asunder one from another, he called one of them, and said unto him, O thou that art waxen old in wickedness, now thy sins which thou hast committed aforetime are come to light:
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for thou hast pronounced false judgment, and hast condemned the innocent, and hast let the guilty go free; albeit the Lord saith, The innocent and righteous shalt thou not slay.
So he put him aside, and commanded to bring the other, and said unto him, O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thine heart.
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Thus have ye dealt with the daughters of Israel, and they for fear companied with you: but the daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness.
Then said Daniel unto him, Well; thou hast also lied against thine own head: for the angel of God waiteth with the sword to cut thee in two, that he may destroy you.
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With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and praised God, who saveth them that trust in him.
And they arose against the two elders, for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth:
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and according to the law of Moses they did unto them in such sort as they maliciously intended to do to their neighbour: and they put them to death. Thus the innocent blood was saved the same day.
From that day forth was Daniel had in great reputation in the sight of the people.
The same year were appointed two of the ancients of the people to be judges, such as the Lord spake of, that wickedness came from Babylon from ancient judges, who seemed to govern the people.
And they did as she bade them, and shut the garden doors, and went out themselves at private doors to fetch the things that she had commanded them: but they saw not the elders, because they were hid.
Therefore Chelcias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joacim her husband, and all their kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.