The first reading is a reading from the book of the prophet Daniel.

In Babylon there lived a man named Joachim and married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman,

Susanna, the daughter of Hekeli. Her pious parents had trained their daughter according to the

law of Moses. Joachim was very rich. He had a garden near his house, and the Jews had recourse to him

often because he was the most respected of them all. That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges, of whom the Lord said,

wickedness has come out of Babylon, from the elders who were to govern the people as judges.

These men, to whom all brought their cases frequent at the house of Joachim, when the people left at noon, Susanna used to enter her

husband's garden for a walk. When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk, they began to lust for

her. They suppressed their consciences. They would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind

just judgments. One day, while they were waiting for the right moment, she entered the garden as

usual with two maids only. She decided to bathe for the weather was warm. Nobody else was there except the two elders,

who had hidden themselves from watching her. Bring me oil and soap, she said to the maids,

and shut the garden doors while I bathe. As soon as the maids had left, the two old men got up

and hurried to her. Look, they said. The garden doors are shut and no one can see us.

Give in to our desire and lie with us.

If you refuse, we will testify against you that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you.

I am completely trapped, Susanna groaned.

If I yield, it will be my death. If I refuse,

I cannot escape your power. Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin before the Lord. Then Susanna shrieked, the old man also shouted to her as one of them ran to open the garden doors.

When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden, they rushed in by the side gate to see what happened to her.

At the accusations of the old men, the servants felt very much ashamed and never had any such things said been said about Susanna.

When the people came to her husband, Joacham, the next day, the two wicked elders also came,

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