Susannas di îsasib ge ǀgam ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha ra ǂgae
1 Joakim ti ǀon hâ khoeb ge Babilons ǃnâ ge hâ i. 2 ǁÎb ge Hilkiab ôas, Susannas ǀkha ge ǃgame hâ i. Susannas ge kaise îsa tsî eloǃaoǃgâxa khoe ge isa. 3 ǁÎs îra ge ge ǂhanu-ai i tsî ǁîra ôasa Moseb ǂhanub ǃoa ge kaikai. 4 ǁÎs aob, Joakimmi ge kaise ge ǃkhū hâ i, tsîb ge îsa ǃhanaba ǁîb omsa ge ǁgoeǂnami hâ i. ǁÎb ge Babilons di ǀgapiǃgôasa Jodeǁî-ao-i, xui-aon ge Jodeǁîna ǂnûdi ǃaroma ǁnāpa gere ǀhao. 5 Babilons di Jodeǁîn ge ǀgū ǁaeb ǃnâ ǀgamkha, ǁîn di ǂgaeǂgui-aoga xu ǀgoraǃgâ-aose ge ǁhûi hâ i. Nē ǀgam ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha xab ge ǃKhūba nēti ge mî hâ i: “ǂKhabasib ge Babilons ǃnâ hâ, khoena nî ǂgaeǂguise i ǀgoraǃgâ-aogu ǁnāsa dī tama xui-ao.” 6 Nē khoekha ge ǃnāsa ǁaeba Joakimmi oms tawa gere hâ, tsîn ge khoena ǁîn di ǁhōgu nî ǀgoraǃgâhese ǁnāpa gere sī.
7 Tsēkorobe, tsēǃgâǁaeb di ǂûǁaeb ain ga hoa khoena ǂoa, os ge Susannasa ǁnaetib âs ǃoa ǃhanab ǃnâ gere ǃgûma. 8 Nē ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha ge ǁîsa mâ tsēs hoasa ǃhanab ǃnâs gere ǃgûmao, gere ǃkhē tsî hūs xū-i ǁîkha gere ǂâi-i ge ǁîsa ǁgoe-ūsa. 9 ǁÎkha ge ǁnātikōse kha Susannasa tura hâ ǃkhais ǀkha ge ǀgoreǀû, tsî ǁkhāti ǀgoraǃgâ-aosis di ǃereams âkha tsîna ge ǀuru. 10 Hoakha ge Susannasa turab xa ge ǃkhōǃnamihe hâ i, xawe kha tātsēs tsîna, mâti kha ra tsâ ǃkhaisa ge mîbagu tama hâ i, 11 mâ khoeb hoab gere ǁîs ǀkha ǁgoesab ūba hâ turab xa ǃhoasa tao xui-ao. 12 ǁÎkha ge mâ tsēs hoasa ǁîsa ǃhanab ǃnâ ǃâu tsî ǁîsa kha nî mû ǃkhaisa turaxase gere ǁkhore.
ǀGoraǃgâ-aokha ge Susannasa ǂgaeǂhapusa ra dītsâ
13 ǀGuitsē, tsēǃgâǁae kha ge ge mîǀîgu: “Tsēǃgâǂûs ǁaexa i ge go, xuige a khom ǁaru re.” 14 Tsî kha ge hoakha ǃkharaga ǀkhākha-u ge ǃgû. Xawe kha ge nēb, naub xa ǀūse Susannasa nî mûse ge oahā tsî ǃâubasen tamase ǁkhawa ge ǀhao. Ob ge mâb hoaba nauba tare-i ǃaromab go oahā ǃkhaisa ge dîtsoatsoa, xawe kha ge ǀunis ai ǁîkha hoakha ǁgoe-ūgus turab, Susannasa kha ūba hâba ge ǁguiǁnâ. Tsî kha ge ǀguri kha nî mû si ǁaeba ǀhûpe ge mîǀgui. 15-17 ǁÎkha ge ǂhanu ǃēsa Susannasa ǂgaeǂhapus ǃaroma ge ǃâu hâ i.
ǀGuitsēs ge Susannasa ǀgam ǃgāra ǀkha, ǀnais ra dī khami ǃhanab ǃnâ gere ǃgûma. Nē ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha ǁnāpa gaugausen tsî gere ǃkhēkha, ose i ge khoe-i xare-e ǁnāpa ge ǀkhai i. Kaise i ge ge ǀgamsa i tsîs ge ge ǁāsen ǂgao. Os ge ǃgāra ǃoa “ǁĀsen-ū oli-i tsî ǃgâihamxūn tsîna hā-ūba te, î ǃhanab di dao-amde ǃnau-am, î ta ǀguri hâ tsî ǁāsen ǁkhā” ti ge mî. 18 ǃGāra ge danadao-amde ǃnau-am tsî xōǀkhāb dao-ams ǃnâ, ǂganhe ge xūna nî sī ūse ge ǂoa. ǁÎra ge nē khoekha gaugausen kha ge hâ i, xui-ao ge mû tama hâ i.
19 Tsî ǃgāra ge ǂoa, o kha ge nē ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha, gaugausen kha ge hâ i ǃkhaiba xu uriǂoaxa tsî Susannas ǃoa ǃkhoe 20 tsî ǁîs ǃoa ge mî: “ǃHanab di dao-amdi ge ǃnau-amsa tsî khoe-i xare-i ge mû da tide. Sikhom ge sa ǀkha ǁgoes di turab xa go dāhe, xuige ǂhâba khom hâ-e mā khom re. 21 ǂKhās ka, o khom ge ǁnâuǃgâǃkhaib ǃoa ǃgû tsî sa ǃoagu, ǃgāra sîbē tsîs go ǂkham khoeb ǀkha ǁgoe-ūgu ǃkhaisa khom go mû, ti nî ǃkhō-am.”
22 Os ge Susannasa ǀhâimâinǀom tsî ge mî: “ǀNî dao-i ge nēsisa a ǀkhai. Sakho ǃnâ ta ga māsen, o ta ge ǃgamekhôas ǃaroma a ǃgamhe ǁkhā. ǂKhā ta ga xawes tsîna ta ge sakho ǃnuisa xu ǃnora ǁkhā tide. 23 Xawe a ta tita ǃKhūb ǃoagu ta nî ǁores xa, ti ǀhapiosis ǃnâ tsâ.” 24 ǁÎs ge ǃgari dommi ǀkha huib ǃaroma ǃau, o kha ge nē ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha tsîna ǀhapiǂgā-am si rase ge ǃautsoatsoa. 25 ǀGuib ǁîkha dib ge ǃkhoe tsî ǃhanab di dao-amde ge ǁkhowa-am.
26 Oms di sîsenaon ge ǃauban ge ǃhanab ǃnâ ǁnâuo, tare-i go ǁîs ǀkha ī ǃkhaisa nî ǂanǂuise, xōǀkhāb dao-ams ǃnâ-u ge ǂgâ. 27 Tsî ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha ge ǁîkha di ǂhôasa ǃhoa, o gu ge sîsenaona kaise ge tao, ǁnāti ī xū-i xare-i ge aiǃâ Susannas ǃoagu ge mîhe tama hâ i xui-ao.
ǀGoraǃgâ-aokha ge Susannas ǃoagu ra ǃkhō-am
28 Sao ra tsēs ain ge khoena ǂnûsa Joakimmi oms tawa ge ūhâ, tsî kha ge ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha, ǁîkha di mîǁguisa ǂkhaba ǀapes, Susannas nî ǃgamhes disa nî dīǂuise ge ǀkhī. 29 ǁÎkha ge hoaraga khoen ǁnāpa hân aiǃâ, Hilkiab ôas, Susannas, Joakimmi tarasa ge ǂgai kai. ǂGaihes ge 30 os ge ǁgûra, ǀgôan tsî hoaraga ǀaokhoen ǀkha ge ǂgâxa. 31 Susannas ge kaise îsa tsî anusa i tarekhoesa. 32 ǀHāb ǀkhas ge ǃgū-aihe hâ i, xui-ao kha ge nē ǂkhaba khoekha ǁîs ǀhabas nî ūǁnâ-aihe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā, î kha ǀuni ǃnāsa ǁîsa ǃgâise kō ǁkhā. 33 ǁÎs di ǀaokhoen tsî ǁîs ǀkha ge hâ i khoen hoan ge gere ā.
34 O kha ge ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha khoen aiǃâ mâ tsî Susannas danas ai ǁîkha ǃomga ǁgui tsî ǁîs ǃoagu hâ ǀhapiǂgā-amdi ǀkha ge tsoatsoa. 35 ǁÎs ge ās gere, xawe ǃKhūbas ra ǂgomǃgâ xui-ao ǀhommi ǃoa ge kōkhâi. 36 Nē ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha ge sao rase ge ǃkhō-am: “ǃHanab ǃnâ khom ǀguri ra ǃgûma, hîas ge nē khoesa ǁîs ǀgam ǃgāra ǀkha ge ǂgâxa. ǁÎs ge danadao-amde ǃnau-am tsî ǃgāra ge oa kai. 37 Tsîb ge ǂkham khoeb hîa ge ǃhanab ǃnâ gaugausen hâ iba ǁîs tawa sī tsî ǁîsa ge ǁgoe-ū. 38 Sikhom ge ǀgui ǀkhāb ai, ǃhanab di ǁhôas ǃnâ ge hâ i, tsî khom ge ǁîra sorosise ra ǁgoe-ūgu ǃkhaisa khom ge mûo, ǁîra tawa ǃkhoesī 39 tsî ǀhabe ra a hîa ge ǃkhō ra. Sikhom ge khoeba ǃkhōsa ge dītsâ, xaweb ge sikhom xa kaise ge ǀgaisa i. ǁÎb ge ǃkhoe tsî dao-amde ǁkhowa-am tsî ge ǃkhoebē. 40 Sikhom ge khoesa ǃkhōmâi tsî tarib a ǁnāba ǃkhaisa ge dî si, xawes ge ǃeream khom tama ge i. Sikhom ge sikhom ǃkhō-ams a ama ǃkhaisa ra nū.” 41 ǁNā ǀhûhâsib ǃnâ kha ge ǂgaeǂgui-ao tsî ǁkhāti ǀgoraǃgâ-ao i, xui-aon ge khoena ǁîkha ǂgom tsî Susannasa ǁōb ǃoa ge ǀgoraǃgâ.
Danieli ge Susannasa ra huiǂui
42 Susannas ge ǃgari dommi ǀkha ge ǀgore: “ǀAmo Elotse, xū-i xare-i ge sa aiǃâ ǂganǃgâsa tama hâ; sats ge xūn hoana īn nîs aiǃâ a ǂan. 43 Nē ta ge a ǁō nîse, xawets ge ǀhapio ta a tsî nē khoekha ra ǂhumi ǃkhaisa a ǂan. Tare-i ǃaroma ta kha nî ǁō?”
44 ǃKhūb ge ǁîs ǀgoresa ǁnâu 45 tsî ǃgamhes nîses nî ūbēhes aiǃâ, eloǃaoǃgâxa ǂkham khoeb Daniela, ǁîsab nî ǃnoraǃnorase ǁnāǀî ge ǂgaeǂgui. 46 Tsîb ge ǃgari dommi ǀkha ge ǂgaiǂui: “Tita ge nē khoes di ǃgamhes ǃnâ ǃâ ǂgao tama hâ!”
47 Nē ǂnubis khoen ge ǁîb ǃoa dabasen tsî “Tare-ets ra ǂâibasen?” ti ge dî.
48 Ob ge Daniela ǂnubis ǁaegub ǃnâ mâ tsî ge mî: “Israelǁîdo, tare-i ǃaroma du nēti a gâ ǁkhā? Israelǁî khoesa du dîǃnâ-i tsîna dī tamase, nē ama tama ǃkhō-am-i ǃaroma ǁōb ǃoa ra ǀgoraǃgâ? 49 Ab ǁhōba, nē khoekha go ama tama ǀhûǀguisa ǁîs ǃoagu mā xuige, ǁkhawa tsoatsoahe.”
50 Hoaraga ǂnubis ge ǁkhawa ǃnoesase ǁnâuǃgâǃkhaib ǁga ge oa tsî gu ge ǂgaeǂgui-aoga Danieli ǃoa “Elob xats ǂgaeǂgui-aose ǁhûihe hâ ǃkhais ge a mûmûsa, xuige sige ǁaegu hā ǂnû, îts tare-i ǃaromats nē khoekha ra ǂhumi ti ra ǂâi ǃkhaisa mîǃāba ge re” ti ge mî. 51 Ob ge Daniela ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “Nē khoekha ǀgora, î ǃnūǃnâguse ūhâ, î ta ǁîkha ǀguiǀguibese dîǃnâ.” 52 Tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ge ǁîkha ǀgoras khaoǃgâb ge Daniela ǂguroba ǂgai tsî ge dî: “Sa kaira ǂkhabadī-aotse, nēsits ge ǀnaits ge dī hâ i ǁoren hoan ǃaroma nî ǃereambasen. 53 Sats ge ǂhumi ǃkhō-amsa ǁnâuǃgâǃkhaib ǃnâ go mā. Tsîts ge ǀhapio-e ǀgoraǃgâ tsî ǀhapixa-e go ǁnāxū, ǃKhūb ra ‘Tā ǀhapio tsî ǂhanu-ai khoe-e ǁōb ǃoa ǀgoraǃgâ’ ti mî hîa. 54 Tsî amasets ga mû hâ nē khoera ge ǁgoe-ūgu ǃkhaisa, o mîba te, mâ hais ǃnaka ra ge ǁgoe i ǃkhaisa?”
Ob ge “ǂkhari hais ǃnaka” ti ge ǃeream.
55 Ob ge Daniela, “Aha! ǁNā ǂhumib ge sa ǁōba nî ǃaroma. Elob di ǀhomǃgāb ge ǀnai sats nî ǀgam ǃâra ǃnâ ǁhāǃāhe ǃkhaisa go mîmāhe,” ti ge mî. 56 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge ǂguro ǀgoraǃgâ-aoba ǂgaeǂguibēhe tsî ǀgamǁîba Danieli aiǃâ ge hā-ūhe. “Sats ge Jodeǁî tama, xawe a ǀurisa Kanaanǁî” tib ge Daniela ǁîb ǃoa ge mî. “Nē taras di îsasib ge satsa go ǂgaeǂhapu tsî sa turab ge sa ǂâisa ge ǀhôagaoǃnâ. 57 Sakho ge ǁnaeti hâ ǂhâba kho ra xū-i hoa-e Israelǁî tarekhoedi ǀkha hōbesa, ǁîdi ra sakho ǃao xui-ao, xawe nē Jodeǁî tarekhoes ge tātsē sakho māsen tide. 58 Nēsi mîba te re, mâ hais ǃnakats ge ǁîra mûǁgoe ǃkhaisa.”
Ob ge “Aikehais ǃnaka” ti ge ǃeream.
59 Ob ge Daniela “Aha! ǁNā ǂhumib ge sa ǁōba nî ǃaroma. ǃKhūb di ǀhomǃgāb ge hoaǀkhāǀāgôaba ǁîb ǃommi ǃnâ ūhâse ǃâu tsi hâ, ǀgam ǃâra ǃnâb nî ǃgaoǃā tsise. Tsî kho ge sakho hoakho nî hîkākāhe.”
60 On ge hoa khoena ǃau tsî Elob, hîa ǁnān ǁîb ǃnâ ra ǂgomna ra ǃnoraǃnoraba ge koa. 61 Danieli ge nūs ǃnaka kha ge ǂhumi ǃkhaisa ǁgau, xui-aon ge ǁîn hoana, nē ǀgam ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha ǃoagu ge khâimâ. 62 Moseb ǂhanub ge ra mî, ǂhumi ǃkhō-amsa ga mā khoe-i, ǀhapixa khoe-i nî ǃkhōǃoase ī ǁkharab ǁkhāba nî ǃkhōǃoasa. Tsî ǁnā-amaga kha ge nē ǀgam ǀgoraǃgâ-aokha, ǁōb ǁkharaba ge ǁgui-aihe tsîb ge ǀhapio khoes di ûiba ge sâuhe. 63 Susannas di îb Hilkiab, ǁîs di îs, aob Joakimmi tsî ǀaokhoen tsîn ge ǁîs ge ǀhapiose nē ǀhapiǂgā-ams ai a hōheo, Eloba ge koa. 64 ǁNā tsēsa xub ge Daniela ǀgapi ǃgôasiba khoen ǃnâ ge ūhe hâ i.
Susanna's Beauty Attracts Two Judges
1 In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim, 2 who was married to Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah. Susanna was a beautiful woman and deeply religious. 3 Her parents were devout Jews who had brought up their daughter to live according to the Law of Moses. 4 Her husband Joakim was very wealthy. Lovely gardens surrounded his house, and the other Jews often gathered there for meetings, because they all thought so highly of him. 5-6 Everyone who had a legal case to present would also go to Joakim's house, where two judges held court. These two leaders of the Jewish community had recently been appointed to office. They were the ones about whom the Lord said, “There is wickedness in Babylon; judges are failing to give guidance to the people.”
7 Every day at noon, when all the people left for lunch, Susanna used to take a walk in the gardens. 8 The two judges were so attracted to her that they would wait around and watch for her. 9 They became so obsessed with their desire for her that they lost interest both in prayer and in their responsibility as judges. 10 They each wanted Susanna, but neither told the other how he felt, 11 for each was ashamed to admit his lust. 12 So day after day they watched eagerly to catch sight of her.
13 One day at noon they said to each other, “It's time for lunch; let's go home.” 14 So they both left and went their separate ways, but soon each one came back for a look at Susanna, and by accident they met each other. At first each tried to explain what he was doing there, but finally they both confessed their desire for Susanna. They decided to watch for a time when they might find her alone. 15-17 So they kept waiting for the right opportunity.
The Judges Try to Seduce Susanna
One day Susanna went into the garden as usual with her two servant women. No one else was there, except the two judges, who had hidden themselves and were watching Susanna. It was very hot and she decided to take a bath. So she said to her servants, “Bring me some bath oil and some perfume, and lock the gates, so that I won't be disturbed.” 18 The servants locked the main gates and went out by the side door to get what Susanna had asked for. They did not notice the two men.
19 As soon as the servants had left, the two judges jumped out from their hiding place, ran to Susanna, 20 and said to her, “The gates are locked and no one will see us. We are burning to have sex with you, so give us what we want. 21 If you don't, we will go to court and swear that we saw you send your servants away, so that you could be alone with a young man.”
22 “There is no way out,” Susanna moaned. “If I give in to you, I could be put to death for adultery. If I refuse, you will still have me trapped. 23 But I would rather be your innocent victim than sin against the Lord.” 24 So she started screaming as loud as she could, and the two judges began shouting accusations, 25 while one of them ran and unlocked the gates.
26 As soon as the servants in the house heard all the noise, they ran into the gardens through the side door to find out what had happened to Susanna. 27 The judges told their story, and the servants were shocked and ashamed. Such a thing had never before been said about Susanna.
The Judges Testify against Susanna
28 The next day, when the people assembled at Joakim's house, the two judges arrived, fully determined to carry out their wicked plan to have Susanna put to death. 29 In front of all the people they said, “Send for Joakim's wife Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah.” When she was called, 30 she came in with her parents, her children, and all her other relatives. 31 Susanna was so graceful and beautiful 32 that the two wicked men ordered her veil to be removed, so that they might enjoy looking at her. 33 Her family and everyone else were in tears.
34 Then the two judges stood up in front of the people, placed their hands on Susanna's head, and began making their accusations against her. 35 She was crying, but she looked up to heaven because she trusted the Lord. 36 The two men gave the following testimony: “We were walking in the gardens when this woman came in with her two servant women. She locked the main gates and asked the servants to leave. 37 Then a young man who had been hiding in the gardens came to her, and they lay down together. 38 We were in a corner of the gardens, and when we saw what was happening, we ran over 39 and caught them in the act. We tried to hold on to the man, but he was too strong for us. He ran and opened the gates and got away, 40 but we were able to hold the woman. We asked her who the man was, but she refused to tell us. We swear that our testimony is true.” 41 Because the two men were not only leaders in the community but also judges, the people believed their story and condemned Susanna to death.
Daniel Rescues Susanna
42 Then Susanna cried out in a loud voice, “Eternal God, nothing can be kept secret from you; you know everything before it happens. 43 Here I am about to die, but you know that I am innocent, that these men are lying. Why must I die?”
44 The Lord heard her prayer 45 and led a young man named Daniel to speak out, just as Susanna was being taken away to her death. 46 He shouted, “I refuse to be a party to her death!”
47 Everyone turned around to look at him and asked, “What are you talking about?”
48 Daniel stood up before them and said, “People of Israel, how foolish can you be? Are you going to condemn an Israelite woman to death on this kind of evidence? You haven't even tried to find out the truth. 49 Reopen the case. The testimony these men gave was a lie.”
50 So all the people hurried back to where the trial had taken place, and the officials said to Daniel, “God has given you wisdom beyond your years, so come and join us and explain to us what you mean.”
51 Daniel said to them, “Separate the two judges, and let me question them one at a time.” 52 Then Daniel called the first judge and said, “You wicked old man, now you will have to answer for all the sins you have committed. 53 You have been giving unjust sentences. You have condemned the innocent and released the guilty, even though the Lord has said, ‘Do not put an innocent person to death.’ 54 Now if you really did see this couple making love, tell me, what tree were they under?”
“Under a small gum tree,” he answered.
55 Daniel said, “All right! That lie will cost you your life. God's angel has already been given orders to chop you in two.”
56 Then the first judge was led away and the second one was brought before Daniel. “You are more like a Canaanite than a Jew,” Daniel said to him. “This woman's beauty has warped your judgment, and lust has corrupted your thinking. 57 You are used to having your way with the women of Israel because they have been afraid of you, but here is a Jewish woman, and she would not give in. 58 Now, tell me what tree you saw them under.”
“Under a large oak tree,” he answered.
59 Daniel said, “All right! That lie will cost you your life; God's angel is waiting with his sword in his hand, ready to cut you in two. Then we shall be rid of you both.”
60 Then all the people shouted and praised God, who saves those who put their trust in him. 61 They turned against the two judges because Daniel had proved that they had lied under oath. 62 The Law of Moses states that people who give false testimony shall receive the same punishment that the accused person would have received. And so the two judges were put to death, and the life of an innocent woman was saved. 63 Susanna's parents, her husband, and all her relatives praised God because she had been proved innocent of the charges. 64 From that day on, Daniel was held in high regard.
