Daniel · Chapter 13

[ edit] A man was in Babiloyne, and þe name of hym Joachym. And he toke a wijf, Suſanne by name, þe douȝtir of Elchie, ful faire, and dreeding þe Lord. Forſoþe þe fadir and modir of hir, when þei weren iuſt, lerneden her douȝter after þe lawe of Moyſes. Forſoþe Joachym was ful riche, and to hym was a gardyne nyȝ to his hous; and Jewis camen to gidre to hym, for þat he was more honourable of alle. And two olde domeſmen ben ordeynyd in þat ȝeer, of whiche þe Lord ſpac, for wickidneſſe wente out of Babyloyne, of þe eldre iugis whiche weren ſeen for to rewle þe peple. Þeſe ofte hauntiden þe hous of Joachym; and alle þat hadden domis camen to hem.

Forſoþe whenn þe peple turnyde aȝein after mydday, Suſanne entride, and walkide in þe gardyne of hir huſbond. And þe eldre men ſawen hir eche day entrynge, and walkinge; and þei brennyden in þe coueitiſe of hir. And þei turnyden awey her witt, and bowiden awey her eeȝen, þat þei ſhulden not ſee heuen, neþer ſhulde haue mynde of iuſt domys. Forſoþe boþe weren woundid in loue of hir, neþer ſhewiden to hem ſelf her ſorewe; forſoþe þei ſhameden for to ſhewe to hem ſelf her coueitiſe, willynge for to ligge wiþ hir. And þei aſpieden eche day byſilier for to ſee hir. And þe toþer ſaide to þe toþer, Go we home, for oure of mete is. And þei gon out, departiden fro hem ſelf.

And whann þei hadden departid, þei camen in to oon; and þei axinge cauſe eche of oþer, knawlechiden her coueitiſe. And þann in comoun þei ordeynyden tyme, whann þei miȝten fynde hir aloon. Forſoþe it is don, whanne þei aſpieden a couenable day, ſche entride ſum tyme, as ȝiſterday and þree days gon, wiþ two damiſels aloone, and wolde be waſhen in þe gardyne; ſoþely heete was. And no man was þere, out taken two olde men hid, byholdyng hir. And ſhe ſaide to þe maydens, Brenge ȝe to me oyle, and ſope, or oynement; and ſhitte ȝe þe doris of þe gardyne, þat Y be waſhen.

And þei diden as ſhe comaundide; and þei cloſiden þe doris of þe gardeyn, and wenten out by a poſtern, for to brenge whiche þingus ſhe bad. And ſhe wiſte not olde men for to be hid wiþ yn forþ. Soþely when þe damyſels weren gon out, þe two olde men ryſen, and runnen to hir, and ſaiden, Loo! doris of þe gardyne ben cloſid, and no man ſeeþ vs, and we ben in coueitiſe of þee. Wherfore accorde to vs, and be ioyned wiþ vs. Þat ȝif þou wilt not, we ſhuln ſaye witneſſyng aȝeinus þee, þat a ȝung man was wiþ þee, and for þis cauſe þou ſentiſt out þe damyſels fro þee.

And Suſanne inwardly ſorewide, and ſaiþ, Anguyſhis ben to me on eche ſyde; forſoþe ȝif Y ſhal do þis þing, deþ is to me; ſoþely ȝif Y ſhal not do, Y ſhal not aſcape ȝoure hondis. Bot bettir it is to me for to falle wiþ outen werk in to ȝour hondis, þan for to ſynne in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord. And Suſanne criede wiþ a grete voice, forſoþe and þe olde men crieden aȝeinus hir. Soþely þe ton ran, and opnyde þe dore of þe gardeyn. Forſoþe ſeruauntes of þe hous fellen yn by þe poſterne, whan þei herden cry in þe gardeyne, for to ſee what it was. Forſoþe after þat þe olde men ſpaken, þe ſeruauntis ſhamyden gretely, for ſiche word was neuer herd of Suſanne. And þe morewe day is maad.

And whanne þe peple cam to hir huſbond Joachym, and þe two preſtis camen ful of yuel þouȝt aȝeinus Suſanne, for to ſlea hir. And þei ſeiden byfore alle þe peple, Sende ȝe to Suſanne, douȝter of Elchie, wyf of Joachym. And anoon þei ſenten. And ſhe came wiþ fadir, and modir, and ſonnys, and alle hir coſyns. Forſoþe Suſanne was ful delicate, and faire of fourme, or ſhap. And þe ylke wickid men comaundeden, þat ſhe ſhulde be vnkeuered, ſoþely ſhe was hillid; þat or ſo þei weren fulfillid wiþ fairneſſe of hir. Þerfore hern wepten, and alle þat knewen hir. Soþeli two preſtis rijſyng to gydre in mydil of þe peple, puttiden hir hondis vpon þe hed of hir.

Whiche wepynge byhelde to heuen, forſoþe þe hert of hir was hauynge triſt in þe Lord. And þe preſtis ſaiden, Whann we walkiden aloon in þe gardeyn, ſhe þis came yn wiþ two maydens dameſels; and cloſide þe dore of þe gardeyn, and lefte þe damyſels. And a ȝung man, þat was hid, came to hir, and dide lechorie wiþ hir. Forſoþe we, whanne we weren in a corner of þe gardeyn, ſeeynge wickidneſſe, runnen to hem, and we ſawen hem for to be mengid to gidre. And ſoþely we miȝten not cacche hym, for he was ſtrengre þan we; and þe doris opnyd, he lepte out. Soþely when we hadden cauȝt þis, we axiden, who was þat ȝunge man; and ſhe wolde not ſhewe to vs. Of þis þing we ben witneſſes.

Þe multitude byleeuyde to hem, as to eldre men of þe peple and iugis, and condempnyden hir to deþ. Forſoþe Suſanne criede wiþ grete voice, and ſaide, Lord God euerlaſtinge, þat art knower of hid þingus, þat haſt knowen alle þingus byfore þei be maad; þou woſt, for þei han born fals witneſſinge aȝeines me. And loo! Y dye, whann Y dide nouȝt of þeſe þingus, whiche þeſe maliciouſly maken to gydre aȝeinus me. Forſoþe þe Lord herd þe voice of hir. And whann ſhe was ledde to deþ, þe Lord reyſide a ſpirit of a ȝungir chijld, whoſe name Danyel. And he cryede wiþ greete voyce, Y am cleene of þe blood of þis. And al þe peple to gyder turnyd to hym ſaide, What is þis word, whom þou haſt ſpoken?

Whiche, whanne he ſtode in þe mydil of hem, ſaide, So ȝe, foolis, ſonys of Yrael, not demynge neþer knowynge þat þing þat is iuſt, condempneden þe douȝter of Yrael. Turne ȝe aȝein to dome, for þei han ſpoke fals witneſſyng aȝeinus hir. Þerfore þe peple turned aȝein wiþ hiȝyng. And þe olde men ſaiden to hym, Cum þou, and ſitt in mydil of vs, and ſhewe þou to vs; for God ȝaue to þee honour of eelde. And Danyel ſaide to hem, Departe ȝe hem fro a twynne, or eche fro oþer, fer, and Y ſhal wyſely deme hem.

Þerfore, whanne þei weren departid þe toþer fro þe toþer, he clepide oon of hem, and ſaide to hym, Þou olde of yuel days, nowe þi ſynnes camen on þee, whiche þou wrouȝtiſt byfore, demynge vniuſt domys, oppreſſinge innocentis, and delyuerynge gylti, ſayinge þe Lord, Þou ſhalt not ſlea þe innocent and iuſt man. Now forſoþe ȝif þou ſawiſt hir, ſaye þou, vndir what tree þou ſawȝ hem ſpeekynge to hemſelf? Whiche ſaiþ, Vndir a ſloo tree. Soþely Danyel ſaide, Riȝtly þou leeȝiſt in to þin hed; loo! forſoþe an aungel of þe Lord, þe ſentence token of hym, ſhal kitte þee þe mydil.

And hym remoued awey, he comaundide þe toþer for to cum, and ſaide to hym, Seed of Canaan, and not of Juda, fourme, or fairneſſe, diſceyuyde þee, and coueitiſe turnyde þin hert vpſadoun; þus ȝe diden to douȝtris of Yrael, and þei dredynge ſpaken wiþ ȝou, bot þe douȝter of Juda ſuffride not ȝour wickidneſſe. Now þerfore ſaye to me, vndir what tree þou ſawiſt hem ſpekynge to hem ſelf? Whiche ſaiþ, Vndir a plum tree. Soþely Danyel ſaide to hym, Riȝtly and þou leeȝiſt in þin hed; forſoþe an aungel of þe Lord dwelliþ, hauynge a ſwerd, þat he kitte þee þe mydil, and ſlea ȝou. And ſo alle þe peple criede wiþ grete voyce, and bleſſiden þe Lord, þat ſaueþ men hopynge in hym.

And þei ryſen to gidre aȝeins two preſtis; ſoþely Danyel hadde conuicte hem of her mouþ, for to haue ſaide fals witneſſyng; and þei diden to hem, as þei hadden do yuel aȝeines þe neiȝbour, þat þei diden after þe lawe of Moyſes, and ſlewen hem. And þe giltleſſe blode is ſaued in þat day. Forſoþe Elchie and his wyf preyſiden God in þat day, for her douȝter Suſanne, wiþ Joachym, hir huſbond, and alle hir coſyns, for foule þing was not found in hir. Forſoþe Danyel was maad greet in ſiȝt of þe peple, fro þat day and afterward.