when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young youth whose name
was Daniel:
[46] Who cried with a loud voice, I am clear from the blood of this woman.
[47] Then all the
people turned them toward him, and said, What mean these words that thou hast spoken?
[48] 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?
[49] Return again to the place of judgment: for they
have borne false witness against her.
[50] 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.
[51] Then said Daniel unto them, Put these two aside one far from another, and I will examine
them.
[52] 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.
[53] 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.
[54] Now then, if
thou hast seen her, tell me, Under what tree sawest thou them companying together? Who answered,
Under a mastick tree.
[55] And Daniel said, Very well; thou hast lied against thine own head; for even now
the angel of God hath received the sentence of God to cut thee in two.
[56] 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.
[57] 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.
[58]
Now therefore tell me, Under what tree didst thou take them companying together? Who answered,
Under an holm tree.
[59] 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.
[60] With that all the
assembly cried out with a loud voice, and praised God, who saveth them that trust in him.
[61] And they
arose against the two elders, for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth:
[62]
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.
[63]
Therefore Chelcias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joacim her husband, and
all the kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.
[64] From that day forth was Daniel had
in great reputation in the sight of the people.