If integrated into the book of Daniel: 13.36.

The elders said: The aim here is to indicate to the reader that the words from this point through the end of verse 40 constitute the accusation made against Susanna. The accusation is long enough and detailed enough to justify Good News Translation‘s long but clear and appropriately formal introduction: “The two men gave the following testimony.”

As we were walking in the garden alone: This means the two of them were walking together, with no one else present, not that they were walking separately. Good News Translation avoids the problem by having them say simply “We were walking in the gardens” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

This woman does not mean “a woman,” but “this woman right here.”

For maids see the comments on verses 15-17.

Shut the garden doors may be expressed as “shut the main gates to the garden.” See the comments on verses 15-18. In verse 18 we read that the maids shut the gates to the gardens, but here the elders say Susanna herself shut them.

Dismissed the maids: Good News Translation has “asked the servants to leave,” which adds to their account a bit of scheming on Susanna’s part that dismissed seems to lack.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.