A   There dwelt a man in Babyl&obar;, called Ioachim, þt; toke a wyfe, whose name was Susanna, þe; daughter of Helchia, a very faire wom&abar; and soch one as feared God. Her father and her mother also were godly people ∧ taught theyr daughter accordynge to the lawe of Moses. Now Ioachim (her husbande) was a greate rych m&abar;, and had a fayre orcharde ioynyng vnto hys house. And to him resorted the Iewes com&ebar;ly, because he was a m&abar; of reputacyon amonge them. The same yeare were there made two iudges, soch as the Lorde speaketh of: All the wyckednesse of Babyl&obar;, commeth from the elders (that is) from the iudges, whych seme to rule the people. These came oft to Ioachims house, and all soch as had eny thynge to do in the lawe came thyther vnto them.

B   Now when the people came agayne at after noone. Susanna went into her husbandes orcharde, to walke. The elders seinge thys, that she went in daylye, and walked: they burned for lust to her, yee they were almost out of theyr wyttes, and cast downe theyr eyes, that they shuld not se heau&ebar;, ner remembre, that God is a ryghtuous iudge. For they were both wounded with the loue of her, nether durst one shewe another his grefe, And for shame, they durst not tell her theyr &ibar;ordynate lust, that they wolde fayne haue had to do &wt; her. Yet they layed wayte for her earnestly from daye to daye, that they myght (at the leest) haue a syght of her And the one sayde to the other: Up, lett vs goo home, for it is dyner time. So they w&ebar;t theyr waye from her.

When they returned agayne, they came together, enqueryng out þe; matter betwixte them selues: yee the one tolde þe; other of hys wicked lust. Then appoynted they a tyme, when they myght take Susanna alone,

C   It happened also þt; they spyed oute a conuenient tyme, when she went forth to walke (as her maner was) ∧ no body wyth her, but two maydens, ∧ thought ^note to wash her selfe in the gard&ebar;, for it was an hote season: And there was not one person there, excepte the two elders, that had hyd them selues to beholde her. So she sayde to her mayd&ebar;s: go fet me oyle and sope, and shut the orcharde dore, that I maye wash me. And they dyd as she bad them, and shut the orcharde dore, &abar;d went out them selues at a backe dore, to fet the thynge that she had c&obar;maunded: but Susanna knewe not, that the elders laye there hyd within. Now when the maydens

were gone forth, the two elders gat th&ebar; vp: and ranne vp&obar; her, saying: now the orchard dores are shut, that no man can se vs: we haue a lust vnto the, therfore consent vnto vs. and lye wyth vs.

D   If thou wylt not, we shall brynge a testimoniall agaynst the: that there was a y&obar;ge felowe with the, and that thou hast sent awaye thy maydens fr&obar; the for the same cause. Susanna syghed, ∧ sayde: Alas. I am in trouble on euery syde. Though I folowe your mynde, it wyll be my death, ∧ yf I c&obar;sent not vnto you, I c&abar; not escape youre h&abar;des. Well, it is better for me, to fal &ibar;to your h&abar;de wythout the dede doynge, then to synne in the syght of the Lorde: and with that, she cryed out with a loude voyce: the elders also cryed out agaynst her.

Then ranne there one to the orcharde dore, and smote it open. Now when the seruauntes of the house herde the crye in the orcharde, they russhed &ibar; at the backe dore, to se what the matter was. E   So when the elders tolde them, þe; seruauntes were greatly ashamed, for why? there was neuer soch a reporte made of Susanna. On the morow after came the people to Ioachim her husbande, ∧ þe; two elders came also, full of myscheuo&us; ymagynacy&obar; agaynst Susanna, to brynge her vnto death, ∧ spake thus before the people: Sende for Susanna þe; daughter of Helchias, Ioachims wyfe. And &ibar;mediatly they sent for her. So she came wyth her father ∧ mother, her chyldren ∧ all her kynred. Now Susanna was a tender person, and meruelous fayre of face. Therfore the wycked m&ebar; commaunded to take of the clothes fr&obar; her face (for she was couered) that at the leest, they myght so be satisfied &ibar; her beutie. Th&ebar; her frendes, yee and al they that knewe her, beganne to wepe.

These two elders stode vp in the myddest of the people, ^note ∧ layed theyr handes vpon the heade of Susanna: which wepte, and loked vp towarde heauen, for her herte had a sure trust in the Lord, And the elders sayde: As we were walkynge in the orcharde alone, thys woman came in with her two maydens: whom she sent awaye from her, ∧ sparred þe; orcharde dores: with þt; a yonge felowe (which there was hyd) came vnto her, and laye with her. As for vs, we stode in a corner of the orcharde. F   And when we sawe this wyckednes, we ranne to her: and perceaued, þt; they had medled together. But we coulde not holde hym, for he was stronger then we: thus he opened the dore &abar;d gat hym awaye.

Now when we had taken thys woman, we asked her, what yonge felowe this was: but she wolde not tell vs. This is the matter, and we be wytnesses of the same.

The com&ebar; sorte beleued them, as those that were the elders and iudges of the people, &abar;d so they c&obar;d&ebar;ned her to death. Sus&abar;na cryed out with a loude voyce, and sayd: O euerlast&ibar;ge God, ^note thou sercher of secretes, þu; that knowest all thinges afore they come to passe: thou wotest, þt; they haue borne false witnes against me: ∧ beholde, I must dye, where as I neuer dyd eny soch thynges, as these men haue malyciously inu&ebar;ted agaynst me. And the Lord herde her voyce. For wh&ebar; she was led forth to death, the Lorde raysed vp the sprete of a y&obar;ge child, G   whose name was Daniel, whych cryed &wt; a loude voyce: ^note I am cleane from this bloude. Th&ebar; all þe; people turned them towarde h&ibar;, ∧ sayd: What meane these wordes, that thou hast spok&ebar;? Daniel stode in the myddest of them, ∧ sayd Are ye soch fooles, O ye children of Israel, that ye can not discerne ner knowe the trueth? Ye haue here cond&ebar;ned a daughter of Israel vnto death, and knowe not the trueth wherfore: Goo syt on iudgem&ebar;t agayne, for they haue spok&ebar; false wytnesse agaynst her.

Wherfore the people turned agayne in all the haste. And the elders (that is, the principall heades) sayd vnto h&ibar;: come syt downe here amonge vs, and shewe vs this matter, seyng God hath geuen þe; as greate honoure as an elder. And Daniel said vnto th&ebar; ^note Put these two asyde one from another, and then shall I heare th&ebar;. Wh&ebar; they were put asunder one from another, he called one of them and sayd vnto hym: O thou olde canckerde carle, that hast vsed thy wickednesse so l&obar;g: thyne vngracyo&us; dedes which thou hast done afore, are now come to lyght. For thou hast geuen false iudgementes, thou hast oppressed the innocent, ∧ letten the gyltye go fre where as yet þe; Lord sayeth: ^note The innoc&ebar;t ∧ ryghtuo&us; se thou slaye not. Wel th&abar;, yf thou hast sene her tell me vnder what tre sawest thou them talkyng together? He answered: vnder a Molbery tree. And Daniel sayde: very well, now thou lyest euen vpon thyne head. Lo the messaunger of the Lord hath receaued the sentence of hym, to cut the in two, Then put he hym asyde, ∧ called for the other, ∧ sayde vnto hym: O thou sede of Canaan, but not of Iuda: Fayrenesse hath dysceaued the, &abar;d lust hath subuerted thyne herte. Thus dealte ye afore with the daughters of Israel, and they (for feare) consented vnto you: but the daughter of Iuda wolde not abyde youre wyckednesse. Now tell me th&abar; vnder what tree dydest þu; take th&ebar;, speakynge together? He answered: Under a Pogranate tree. Then sayde Daniel vnto him: very wel, now thou lyest also eu&ebar; vpon thyne head. The messaunger of the Lorde standeth wayting with the swerde, to cut the in two and to slaye you both.

Wyth that, all the whole multitude gaue

a greate shoute, ∧ praysed God, ^note which alwaye delyuered them that put theyr trust &ibar; hym. And they came vpon the two elders (whom Daniel had conuyete wyth theyr awne mouth: þt; they had geuen false wytnesse) ∧ dealte wyth them, euen lykewyse as they wolde haue done with their neyghboures: yee they dyd ^note accordyng to the lawe of Moses, and put th&ebar; to death. Thus þe; innocent bloude was saued the same daye.

Then Helchiah ∧ his wyfe praysed God, for theyr daughter Sus&abar;na, with Ioachim her husbande and all þe; kynred: þt; there was no dishonestye founde in her. From þt; daye forth was Daniel had in greate reputation in the syght of the people. (And kynge Astyages was layed with his fathers, and Cyrus of Persya reigned in his steade.) ¶ The ende of the story of Susanna.

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