Léctio Daniélis Prophétæ
Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
In diébus illis: Erat vir hábitans in Babylóne, et nomen ejus Jóakim: et accépit uxorem nómine Susánnam, fíliam Helcíæ, pulchram nimis, et timéntem Deum: paréntes enim illíus, cum essent justi, erudiérunt fíliam suam secúndum legem Móysi. Erat autem Jóakim dives valde, et erat ei pomárium vicínum dómui suæ: et ad ipsum confluébant Judǽi, eo quod esset honorabílior ómnium. Et constítuti sunt de pópulo duo senes júdices in illo anno: de quibus locútus est Dóminus: Quia egréssa est iníquitas de Babylóne a senióribus judícibus, qui videbántur régere pópulum. Isti frequentábant domum Jóakim, et veniébant ad eos omnes, qui habébant judícia. Cum autem pópulus revertísset per merídiem, ingrediebátur Susánna, et deambulábat in pomário viri sui. Et vidébant eam senes cotídie ingrediéntem et deambulántem: et exarsérunt in concupiscéntiam ejus: et evertérunt sensum suum, et declinavérunt óculos suos, ut non vidérent cœlum, neque recordaréntur judiciórum justórum. Factum est autem, cum observárent diem aptum, ingréssa est aliquándo sicut heri et núdius tértius, cum duábus solis puéllis, voluítque lavári in pomário: æstus quippe erat, et non erat ibi quisquam, præter duos senes abscónditos et contemplántes eam. Dixit ergo puéllis: Afférte mihi óleum et smígmata, et óstia pomárii cláudite, ut laver. Cum autem egréssæ essent puéllæ, surrexérunt duo senes, et accurrérunt ad eam, et dixérunt: Ecce, óstia pomárii clausa sunt, et nemo nos videt, et nos in concupiscéntia tui sumus: quam ob rem assentíre nobis, et commiscére nobiscum. Quod si nolúeris, dicémus contra te testimónium, quod fúerit tecum júvenis, et ob hanc causam emíseris puéllas a te. Ingémuit Susánna, et ait: Angústiæ sunt mihi úndique: si enim hoc égero, mors mihi est: si autem non egero, non effúgiam manus vestras. Sed mélius est mihi absque ópere incídere in manus vestras, quam peccáre in conspéctu Dómini. Et exclamávit voce magna Susánna: exclamavérunt autem et senes adversus eam. Et cucúrrit unus ad óstia pomárii, et aperuit. Cum ergo audíssent clamórem fámuli domus in pomário, irruérunt per postícum, ut vidérent, quidnam esset. Postquam autem senes locúti sunt, erubuérunt servi veheménter: quia numquam dictus fúerat sermo hujuscémodi de Susánna. Et facta est dies crástina. Cumque venísset pópulus ad Jóakim virum ejus, venérunt et duo senióres, pleni iníqua cogitatióne advérsus Susánnam, ut interfícerent eam. Et dixérunt coram pópulo: Míttite ad Susánnam fíliam Helcíæ, uxórem Jóakim. Et statim misérunt. Et venit cum paréntibus et fíliis et univérsis cognátis suis. Flébant ígitur sui, et omnes qui nóverant eam. Consurgéntes autem duo senióres in médio pópuli, posuérunt manus suas super caput ejus. Quæ flens suspéxit ad cœlum: erat enim cor ejus fidúciam habens in Dómino. Et dixérunt senióres: Cum deambularémus in pomário soli, ingréssa est hæc cum duábus puéllis: et clausit óstia pomárii, et dimísit a se puéllas. Venítque ad eam adoléscens, qui erat abscónditus, et concúbuit cum ea. Porro nos, cum essémus in ángulo pomárii, vidéntes iniquitátem, cucúrrimus ad eos, et vídimus eos pariter commiscéri. Et illum quidem non quívimus comprehéndere, quia fórtior nobis erat, et apértis óstiis exsilívit: hanc autem cum apprehendissémus, interrogávimus, quisnam esset adoléscens, et nóluit indicáre nobis: hujus rei testes sumus. Crédidit eis multitúdo quasi sénibus et judícibus pópuli, et condemnavérunt eam ad mortem. Exclamávit autem voce magna Susánna, et dixit: Deus ætérne, qui absconditórum es cógnitor, qui nosti ómnia, ántequam fiant, tu scis, quóniam falsum testimónium tulérunt contra me: et ecce, mórior, cum nihil horum fécerim, quæ isti malitióse composuérunt advérsum me. Exaudívit autem Dóminus vocem ejus. Cumque ducerétur ad mortem, suscitávit Dóminus spíritum sanctum pueri junióris, cujus nomen Dániel. Et exclamávit voce magna: Mundus ego sum a sánguine hujus. Et convérsus omnis pópulus ad eum, dixit: Quis est iste sermo, quem tu locútus es? Qui cum staret in médio eórum, ait: Sic fátui, fílii Israël, non judicántes, neque quod verum est cognoscéntes, condemnástis fíliam Israël? Revertímini ad judícium, quia falsum testimónium locúti sunt advérsus eam. Revérsus est ergo pópulus cum festinatióne. Et dixit ad eos Dániel: Separáte illos ab ínvicem procul, et dijudicábo eos. Cum ergo divísi essent alter ab áltero, vocávit unum de eis, et dixit ad eum: Inveteráte diérum malórum, nunc venérunt peccáta tua, quæ operabáris prius: júdicans judícia injústa, innocéntes ópprimens, et dimíttens nóxios, dicénte Dómino: Innocéntem et justum non interfícies. Nunc ergo, si vidisti eam, dic, sub qua arbóre vidéris eos colloquéntes sibi. Qui ait: Sub schino. Dixit autem Dániel: Recte mentítus es in caput tuum. Ecce enim, Angelus Dei, accépta senténtia ab eo, scindet te médium. Et, amóto eo, jussit veníre álium, et dixit ei: Semen Chánaan, et non Juda, spécies decépit te, et concupiscéntia subvértit cor tuum: sic faciebátis filiábus Israël, et illæ timéntes loquebántur vobis: sed fília Juda non sustínuit iniquitátem vestram. Nunc ergo dic mihi, sub qua arbóre comprehénderis eos loquéntes sibi. Qui ait: Sub prino. Dixit autem ei Dániel: Recte mentítus es et tu in caput tuum: manet enim Angelus Dómini, gládium habens, ut secet te médium, et interfíciat vos. Exclamávit itaque omnis cœtus voce magna, et benedixérunt Deum, qui salvat sperántes in se. Et consurrexérunt advérsus duos senióres (convícerat enim eos Dániel ex ore suo falsum dixísse testimónium), fecerúntque eis, sicut male égerant advérsus próximum: et interfecérunt eos, et salvátus est sanguis innóxius in die illa.
Lesson from the Prophecy of Daniel
Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62.
In those days, in Babylon there lived a man named Joakim, who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna, the daughter of Helcia; her pious parents had trained their daughter according to the Law of Moses. Joakim was very rich; he had a garden near his house, and the Jews had recourse to him often because he was the most respected of them all. That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges, of whom the Lord said, Wickedness had come out of Babylon: from the elders who were to govern the people as judges. These men, to whom all brought their cases, frequented the house of Joakim. When the people left at noon, Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk. When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk, they began to lust for her. They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments. One day, while they were waiting for the right moment, she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only. She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm. Nobody else was there except the two elders, who had hidden themselves and were watching her. Bring me oil and soap, she said to the maids, and shut the garden doors while I bathe. As soon as the maids had left, the two old men got up and hurried to her. Look, they said, the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us; give in to our desire, and lie with us. If you refuse, we will testify against you that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you. I am completely trapped, Susanna groaned. If I yield, it will be my death; if I refuse, I cannot escape your power. Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin before the Lord. Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her, as one of them ran to open the garden doors. When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden, they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her. At the accusations by the old men, the servants felt very much ashamed, for never had any such thing been said about Susanna. When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day, the two wicked elders also came, fully determined to put Susanna to death. Before all the people they ordered: Send for Susanna, the daughter of Helcia, the wife of Joakim. When she was sent for, she came with her parents, children and all her relatives. All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping. In the midst of the people the two elders rose up and laid their hands on her head. Through her tears she looked up to heaven, for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly. The elders made this accusation: As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman entered with two girls and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls. A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her. When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime, we ran toward them. We saw them lying together, but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we; he opened the doors and ran off. Then we seized this one and asked who the young man was, but she refused to tell us. We testify to this.The assembly believed them, since they were elders and judges of the people, and they condemned her to death. But Susanna cried aloud: O eternal God, You know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be: You know that they have testified falsely against me. Here I am about to die, though I have done none of the things with which these wicked men have charged me. The Lord heard her prayer. As she was being led to execution, God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel, and he cried aloud: I will have no part in the death of this woman. All the people turned and asked him, What is this you are saying? He stood in their midst and continued, Are you such fools, O Israelites! to condemn a woman of Israel without examination and without clear evidence? Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her. Then all the people returned in haste. And Daniel said to them: Separate these two from one another that I may examine them. After they were separated one from the other, he called one of them and said: How you have grown evil with age! Now have your past sins come to term: passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent, and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says, ‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’ Now, then, if you were a witness, tell me under what tree you saw them together. He said: Under a mastic tree. And Daniel said: Well have you lied against your own head. For the Angel of God shall receive the sentence from Him and split you in two. Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. Offspring of Chanaan, not of Juda, Daniel said to him, beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience. This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel, and in their fear they yielded to you; but a daughter of Juda did not tolerate your wickedness. Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together. Under an oak, he said. Your fine lie has cost you also your head, said Daniel; for the Angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two so as to make an end of you both. The whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God, Who saves those that hope in Him. They rose up against the two elders, for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury. They inflicted on them the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor: they put them to death. Thus was innocent blood spared that day.