1. Susana, the beautiful and God-fearing wife of Joakim, was falsely accused of adultery by two elders who lust after her. 2. When she refuses their advances, they claim they witnessed her being intimate with a young man in her garden. 3. The prophet Daniel questions the elders separately and gets their stories to contradict, exposing their lies and saving Susana from being unjustly executed.

2. ISAHLUKO 1
1Kwahlala indoda eBhabhiloni, ibizo layo
linguJowakimi;
2 Wathatha umfazi ogama lakhe lalinguSusana,
indodakazi kaHilikiya, owesifazane omuhle
kakhulu nowesaba uJehova.
3 Abazali bakhe laye babelungile, bafundisa
indodakazi yabo ngokomthetho kaMozisi.
4 UJehoyakimi wayengumuntu onothileyo
omkhulu, enensimu enhle eduze nendlu yakhe;
amaJuda abuthana kuye; ngoba
wayehlonipheka ukwedlula bonke abanye.
5 Ngawo lowo nyaka kwabekwa ababili
kwabadala babantu ukuba babe ngabahluleli,
njengalokhu iNkosi yakhuluma ngabo, ukuthi
ububi bavela eBabiloni kubahluleli basendulo,
ababebonakala bebusa abantu.
6 Laba bagcina okuningi endlini kaJehoyakimi;
bonke abakhwenyana beza kubo.
7 Kwathi sebemuka abantu emini, uSusana
wangena ensimini yomyeni wakhe ukuba
ahambe.
8 Amalunga amabili ambona engena imihla
ngemihla ehamba; kangangokuthi inkanuko
yabo yavutha ngakuye.
9 Futhi bayiphendukezela eyabo ingqondo,
futhi baphendulela amehlo abo, ukuze
bangabheki ezulwini, noma bakhumbule
izahlulelo ezilungile.
10 Nokho bobabili balinyazwa ngenxa
yothando lwakhe, kodwa kakubangakho muntu
onesibindi sokubonisa omunye usizi lwakhe.
11 Ngokuba babenamahloni okuveza inkanuko
yabo, ababefisa ukuyenza naye.
12 Nokho bambhekisisa imihla ngemihla ukuba
bambone.
13 Omunye wathi komunye: “Kasihambe siye
ekhaya, ngokuba sekuyisidlo sakusihlwa;
14 Ngakho lapho sebephumile bahlukana
omunye komunye, baphindela emuva bafika
endaweni efanayo; sebebuzana ngesizatho,
bakuvuma ukufisa kwabo;
15 Kwathi belindile, wangena njengakuqala
ehamba lezincekukazi ezimbili zodwa, wafisa
ukugeza ensimini, ngoba kwakutshisa.
16 Kwakungekho muntu lapho ngaphandle
kwamalunga amabili ayecashile, amqapha.
17 Wayesethi kuzo izincekukazi zakhe:
"Ngilethele amafutha nezigaxa zokuwasha,
uvale iminyango yensimu ukuba ngigeze."
18 Benza-ke njengoba ebatshelile, bavala
iminyango yensimu, baphuma bona
ngeminyango yensimu ukuyalanda lokho
ayebalaye ngakho; kodwa kababonanga abadala,
ngoba kwakufihliwe.
19 Kwathi izincekukazi seziphumile, amalunga
amabili asukuma, agijimela kuye, athi:
20 Bheka, iminyango yensimu ivaliwe, ukuze
kungabikho muntu ongasibona, futhi sithandana
nawe; ngakho-ke sivumele, ulale nathi.
21 Uma ungathandi, siyakufakaza ngawe ukuthi
insizwa yayinawe; ngalokho wazimukisa
izincekukazi zakho.
22 Wabubula uSusana, wathi:
"Ngicindezelekile nxazonke, ngokuba uma
ngenza lokho, kungukufa kimi; uma
ngingakwenzi, anginakuphunyuka ezandleni
zenu."
23 Kungcono kimi ukuba ngiwele ezandleni
zenu, ngingakwenzi, kunokuba ngone phambi
kukaJehova.
24 Khona uSusana wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu,
namalunga amabili amemeza ngokumelene
naye.
25 Wasegijima omunye, wavula umnyango
wensimu.
26 Kwathi lapho izinceku zendlu zizwa
ukukhala ensimini, zagijima zangena
ngomnyango womnyango ukuze zibone ukuthi
kwenziweni kuye.
27 Kwathi abadala sebeyilandisile indaba yabo,
izinceku zaba lenhloni kakhulu;
28 Kwathi ngangomuso abantu sebebuthene
kuJehowakimi umyeni wakhe, kwafika
namalunga amabili egcwele umcabango omubi
ngoSusana ukuba ambulale;
29 Wathi phambi kwabantu: "Bizani uSusana
indodakazi kaHilikiya umkaJowakimi."
Basebethumela.
30 Ngakho wafika loyise lonina labantwabakhe
kanye lezihlobo zakhe zonke.
31 Manje uSusana wayengowesifazane
obuthakathaka kakhulu, futhi emuhle lapho
ebhekwa.
32 Lawo madoda akhohlakele ayala ukuba
ambule ubuso bakhe, ngokuba wayemboziwe,
ukuze agcwaliswe ngobuhle bakhe.
33 Ngakho-ke abangane bakhe nabo bonke
abambonayo bakhala izinyembezi.
34 Ayesesukuma amalunga amabili phakathi
kwabantu, abeka izandla zawo ekhanda lakhe.

3. 35 Wakhala wabheka ngasezulwini, ngokuba
inhliziyo yakhe yayithembele kuJehova.
36 Abadala bathi: “Sathi sihamba sodwa
ensimini, lo wesifazane wangena nezincekukazi
ezimbili, wavala iminyango yensimu,
wazimukisa izintombi.
37 Kwasekusiza kuye insizwa eyayicashile,
yalala naye.
38 Khona-ke thina esasimi ekhoneni lensimu,
sibona lobu bubi, sagijimela kubo.
39 Sathi sibabona bendawonye, lendoda
asikwazanga ukuyibamba, ngokuba
yayinamandla kunathi, yasivula umnyango,
yagxumela ngaphandle.
40 Kepha sesimthathile lona wesifazane, sabuza
ukuthi ingubani insizwa, kepha akasitshelanga;
siyafakaza lezi zinto.
41 Khona ibandla labakholwa njengamalunga
nabahluleli babantu, bamgweba ukuba afe.
42 USusana wayesememeza ngezwi elikhulu,
wathi: “O Nkulunkulu ophakade, wena owazi
izimfihlakalo, nowazi zonke izinto ngaphambi
kokuba zibe khona;
43 Uyazi ukuthi bafakaza amanga ngami, futhi
bheka, ngimelwe ukufa; kanti mina angizange
ngenze izinto ezinjengalezi engiziqambele
ngonya.
44 INkosi yasizwa izwi lakhe.
45 Ngakho lapho eyiswa ukuba abulawe,
uJehova wavusa umoya ongcwele ensizwa
egama layo linguDaniyeli.
46 Wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi:
Ngikhululekile egazini lalumfazi.
47 Bonke abantu baphendukela kuye, bathi:
“Ayini lawa mazwi owakhulumile?
48 Wayesemi phakathi kwabo wathi: “Nina
niyiziwula kangaka, bantwana bakwa-Israyeli,
naze nalahla indodakazi yakwa-Israyeli
ngokungaphenyi, nangazi lutho, na?
49 Buyelani futhi endaweni yokwahlulela,
ngokuba bafakazile amanga ngaye.
50 Base bebuya bonke abantu ngokuphangisa,
amadoda amakhulu athi kuye: "Woza, uhlale
phakathi kwethu, usibonise, lokhu uNkulunkulu
ukunike udumo lwendoda enkulu."
51 Wayesethi uDaniyeli kubo: “Bekani laba
ababili eceleni, omunye ube kude, mina
ngiyakubabheka.
52 Kwathi sebehlukaniswa omunye komunye,
wabiza omunye wabo, wathi kuye: O wena
osugugele ebubini, manje izono zakho
owazenza kudala sezibonakalisiwe.
53 Ngokuba ukhulumé isahlulelo samanga futhi
wabalahla abangenacala futhi wabakhulula
abanecala; nokho uJehova uthi:
“Awuyikubulala ongenacala nolungileyo.
54 Manje-ke, uma umbonile, ngitshele ukuthi:
Wababona bebuthene phansi kwamuphi umuthi
na? Waphendula wathi, Ngaphansi kwesihlahla
sikamaskandi.
55 UDaniyeli wathi: “Kulungile; uqambe
amanga ngekhanda lakho; ngoba lakhathesi
ingilosi kaNkulunkulu isamukele isigwebo
sikaNkulunkulu sokukuquma phakathi.
56 Wayibeka eceleni, wayala ukuba kulethwe
enye, wathi kuye: “Wena nzalo yaseKhanani,
hhayi eyakwaJuda, ubuhle bukukhohlisile,
nenkanuko iphambukile inhliziyo yakho.
57 Nenze njalo emadodakazini akwa-Israyeli,
ahlanganyela nani ngokwesaba, kepha
indodakazi kaJuda ayivumanga ukuma ebubini
benu.
58 Ngakho ngitshele ukuthi: Wababutha
ngaphansi kwamuphi umuthi bebuthene?
Yaphendula yathi, Ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
59 Wayesethi uDaniyeli kuye: “Kulungile; futhi
uqambe amanga ngekhanda lakho, ngokuba
ingelosi kaNkulunkulu ihlezi nenkemba
ukukunquma kabili, ukuze ikubhubhise.
60 Ngalokho ibandla lonke lamemeza ngezwi
elikhulu, lidumisa uNkulunkulu osindisa
abathembela kuye.
61 Basebevukela abadala ababili, ngoba
uDaniyeli wayebalahlile ngomlomo wabo
ngobufakazi bamanga.
62 Njengomthetho kaMose benza kubo lokho
ababehlose ukukwenza kumakhelwane wabo;
base bebabulala. Kanjalo igazi elingenacala
lasindiswa ngalo lolo suku.
63 Ngakho uHilikiya lomkakhe bamdumisa
uNkulunkulu ngendodakazi yabo uSusana,
kanye loJowakimi indoda yakhe lezihlobo
zonke, ngoba kwakungatholakalanga
ukungathembeki kuyo.
64 Kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke uDaniyeli
waba nedumela elikhulu emehlweni abantu.