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He has done. Isaac was led away for a whole burnt offering, the altar had been built, the wood was laid upon it, and nowhere the sheep. A father takes the knife, and nowhere a sheep; he rushed to slay, and then God with his voice restrained his hand. But I have said these things, so that each of you when you are tempted, even if you come near to death, may not despair of the help from God, but may wait for it until the end. For instance, Susanna was led away to die; there was no one to help. When, therefore, she saw that there was no human help, she runs in her thought to the faithful witness in heaven, to the sleepless eye, and says with a voice: O eternal God, you who know what is hidden, who know all things before they come to be, you know that they have testified falsely against me; and behold, I am to die, though I have done none of the things of which these men have maliciously accused me.

And he who said, "While you are still speaking, I am here," heard her. And as she was being led away to be destroyed, God raised up the spirit of a young lad, whose name was Daniel. And he cried out with a loud voice: I am innocent of the blood of this woman. And all the people turned back, and said: What is this word that you have spoken? And standing in the midst of them, he said: Are you so foolish, O sons of Israel, that without examination, and without learning the clear truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel? Return to the place of judgment; for these men have testified falsely against her. And all the people returned with haste. And Daniel said: Separate them from one another. And he questioned the one, saying: You who have grown old in evil days, now your sins have come, which you used to commit. Tell me, then, under what tree did you see them speaking 56.594 with one another? And he said: Under a mastic tree. And Daniel said: Rightly have you lied against your own head; for the angel of God, having the sword, is about to cut you in two. And having removed this one, he calls the other, and says: Seed of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and desire of the eyes has perverted your heart. Tell me, therefore, under what tree did you see them speaking? And he said: Under a holm oak. And Daniel said to him: Rightly have you also lied against your own head; for the angel of God, having the broadsword, is about to saw you in two. And all the people cried out with a loud voice, saying: Blessed is the Lord who saves all who hope in him. And on that day righteous blood was saved. And what was said by David was fulfilled from the person of Susanna:

But your right hand has helped me; but they have sought my soul in vain, the lawless elders; they shall go down into the lowest parts of the earth; they shall be delivered into the hand of the broadsword; for the angel of God, having the broadsword, is about to tear them apart; They shall be portions for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; the husband of Susanna. Everyone who swears by him shall be praised, that is, who believes in him; because the mouth of those who speak unjust things has been stopped; the unjust mouths of the lawless elders.

Then the grief of her parents was turned into joy; her husband rejoiced, glorifying God; her relatives were glad; her neighbors were cheerful; her whole house rejoiced, and in short, there was a public festival of God, of angels, of men. Did you see a courageous soul in a womanly body? Did you see the chastity of a woman, whose memory remains immortal with victory? She was glorified by men, she was magnified by angels, she was crowned by God; imitate her, women, so that you too may be deemed worthy of the same honor from God in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

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πεποίηκεν. Ἀπήγετο ὁ Ἰσαὰκ εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, τὸ θυσιαστήριον ᾠκοδόμητο, τὰ ξύλα ἐπετέθη, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὸ πρόβατον. Λαμβάνει τὴν μάχαιραν πατὴρ, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ πρόβατον· ὥρμησε τοῦ σφάξαι, καὶ τότε ὁ Θεὸς τῇ φωνῇ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐχαλίνωσε. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπον, ἵνα ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ὅταν πειράζηται, κἂν ἐγγὺς τοῦ θανάτου γένηται, μὴ ἀπελπίσῃ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀντίληψιν, ἀλλ' ἕως τέλους ἀπεκδέξηται. Ἀπήγετο γοῦν ἡ Σουσάννα θανεῖν· οὐδεὶς ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν. Ὅτε λοιπὸν εἶδε τὴν ἀνθρώπων ἀντίληψιν μὴ ὑπάρχουσαν, ἀνατρέχει τῇ διανοίᾳ πρὸς τὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ πιστὸν μάρτυρα, πρὸς τὸν ἀκοίμητον ὀφθαλμὸν, καὶ λέγει μετὰ φωνῆς· Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος, ὁ τῶν κρυπτῶν γνώστης, ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν, σὺ ἐπίστασαι, ὅτι ψευδῆ μου καταμαρτυροῦσιν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποθνήσκω μηδὲν πράξασα, ὧν οὗτοι κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐπονηρεύσαντο.

Καὶ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῆς ὁ εἰρηκώς· Ἔτι σοῦ λαλοῦντος ἐγὼ πάρειμι. Καὶ ἀπαγομένης αὐτῆς ἀπολέσθαι, ἐξήγειρεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα παιδαρίου νεωτέρου, ᾧ ὄνομα ∆ανιήλ. Καὶ ἐβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· Καθαρὸς ἐγὼ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ταύτης. Ἐπέστρεψε δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, καὶ εἶπε· Τίς ὁ λόγος οὗτος, ὃν λελάληκας; Ὁ δὲ στὰς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν ἔφη· Οὕτως μωροὶ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, οὐκ ἀνακρίναντες, οὐδὲ τὸ σαφὲς ἐπιγνόντες κατεκρίνατε θυγατέρα Ἰσραήλ; Ἀναστρέψατε εἰς τὸ κριτήριον· ψευδῆ γὰρ οὗτοι κατεμαρτύρησαν αὐτῆς. Καὶ ἀνέστρεψε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς μετὰ σπουδῆς. Καὶ εἶπε ∆ανιήλ· ∆ιαχωρίσατε αὐτοὺς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων. Καὶ ἐπερώτησε τὸν ἕνα, λέγων· Πεπαλαιωμένε ἡμερῶν κακῶν, νῦν ἥκασιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου, ἃς ἐποίεις. Εἰπὲ οὖν μοι, ὑπὸ ποῖον δένδρον εἶδες αὐτοὺς ὁμι 56.594 λοῦντας ἀλλήλοις; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ὑπὸ σχοῖνον. Καὶ εἶπε ∆ανιήλ· Ὀρθῶς ἐψεύσω εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλήν· μέλλει γὰρ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν μάχαιραν ἔχων σχίσαι σε μέσον. Καὶ μεταστήσας τοῦτον, καλεῖ τὸν ἕτερον, καὶ λέγει· Σπέρμα Χαναὰν, καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰούδα, τὸ κάλλος ἐξηπάτησέ σε, καὶ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν διέστρεψε τὴν καρδίαν σου. Εἰπὲ τοίνυν, ὑπὸ ποῖον δένδρον εἶδες αὐτοὺς ὁμιλοῦντας; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ὑπὸ πρῖνον. Ὁ δὲ ∆ανιὴλ πρὸς αὐτόν· Ὀρθῶς καὶ σὺ ἐψεύσω εἰς τὴν σεαυτοῦ κεφαλήν· μέλλει γὰρ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔχων τὴν ῥομφαίαν πρῖσαι σε μέσον. Καὶ ἀνεβόησεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς φωνῇ. μεγάλῃ λέγων· Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ σώζων πάντας τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπ' αὐτόν. Καὶ ἐσώθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ αἷμα δίκαιον. Καὶ ἐπληρώθη τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ εἰρημένον ἐκ προσώπου Σουσάννης·

Ἐμοῦ δὲ ἀντελάβετο ἡ δεξιά σου· αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς μάτην ἐζήτησαν τὴν ψυχήν μου, οἱ παράνομοι πρεσβύτεροι· εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὰ κατώτατα τῆς γῆς· παραδοθήσονται εἰς χεῖρα ῥομφαίας· μέλλει γὰρ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔχων τὴν ῥομφαίαν σπαράττειν αὐτούς· Μερίδες ἀλωπέκων ἔσονται. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εὐφρανθήσεται ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ· ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς Σουσάννης. Ἐπαινεθήσεται πᾶς ὁ ὀμνύων ἐν αὐτῷ, τουτέστιν, ὁ πιστεύων αὐτῷ· ὅτι ἐνεφράγη στόμα λαλούντων ἄδικα· τὰ τῶν παρανόμων πρεσβυτέρων ἄδικα στόματα.

Τότε μετεστρέφετο τὸ πένθος τῶν γονέων αὐτῆς εἰς χαράν· ὁ ἀνὴρ ἠγαλλιᾶτο δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν· οἱ συγγενεῖς ἔχαιρον· οἱ γείτονες εὐθύμουν· πᾶς ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς εὐφραίνετο, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς πάνδημος ἦν ἑορτὴ Θεοῦ, ἀγγέλων, ἀνθρώπων. Εἶδες ἐν γυναικείῳ σώματι ἀνδρείαν ψυχήν; εἶδες γυναικὸς σωφροσύνην, ἧς ἡ μνήμη μένει ἀθάνατος μετὰ νίκης; Αὕτη παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐδοξάσθη, παρὰ ἀγγέλων ἐμεγαλύνθη, παρὰ Θεῷ ἐστεφανώθη· ταύτην ζηλώσατε, γυναῖκες, ἵνα τῆς αὐτῆς καὶ ὑμεῖς τιμῆς ἀξιωθῆτε παρὰ Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.