1. They walked around in the midst of the flames, singing hymns to God
and blessing the Lord.
2 Then Azariah stood still in the fire and prayed aloud:
3 "Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our
ancestors, and worthy of praise;
and glorious is your name
forever!
4 For you are just in all you have done;
all your works are true
and your ways right,
and all your judgments are
true.
5 You have executed true judgments in
all you have brought upon us
and upon Jerusalem, the
holy city of our ancestors;
by a true judgment you have
brought all this upon us because of our sins.
6 For we have sinned and broken your
law in turning away from you;
in all matters we have sinned
grievously.
7 We have not obeyed your commandments,
we have not kept them or
done what you have commanded us for our own good.
8 So all that you have brought upon us,
and all that you have done
to us,
you have done by a true
judgment.
9 You have handed us over to our enemies,
lawless and hateful rebels,
and to an unjust king, the
most wicked in all the world.
10 And now we cannot open our mouths;
we, your servants who worship
you, have become a shame and a reproach.
11 For your name's sake do not give us
up forever,
and do not annul your covenant.
12 Do not withdraw
your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham your beloved
and for the sake of your
servant Isaac
and Israel your holy one,
13 to whom you promised
to multiply their descendants
like the stars of heaven
and like the sand on the
shore of the sea.
14 For we, O Lord, have become fewer
than any other nation,
and are brought low this
day in all the world because of our sins.
15 In our day we have no ruler, or prophet,
or leader,
no burnt offering, or sacrifice,
or oblation, or incense,
no place to make an offering
before you and to find mercy.
16 Yet with a contrite heart and a humble
spirit may we be accepted,
17 as though
it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
or with tens of thousands
of fat lambs;
such may our sacrifice be
in your sight today,
and may we unreservedly
follow you,
for no shame will come to
those who trust in you.
18 And now with all our heart we follow
you;
we fear you and seek your
presence.
19 Do not put us to shame,
but deal with us in your
patience
and in your abundant mercy.
20 Deliver us in accordance with your
marvelous works,
and bring glory to your
name, O Lord.
21 Let all who do harm to your servants
be put to shame;
let them be disgraced and
deprived of all power,
and let their strength be
broken.
22 Let them know that you alone are the
Lord God,
glorious over the whole
world."
23. Now the king's servants who threw them in kept stoking the furnace
with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brushwood.
24 And the flames poured out above the furnace forty-nine cubits,
25 and spread out and burned those Chaldeans who were caught
near the furnace.
26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be
with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace,
27 and made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind
were whistling through it. The fire did not touch them at all and caused
them no pain or distress.
28. Then the three with one voice praised and glorified and blessed
God in the furnace:
29 "Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our
ancestors,
and to be praised and highly
exalted forever;
30 And blessed is your glorious, holy
name,
and to be highly praised
and highly exalted forever.
31 Blessed are you in the temple of your
holy glory,
and to be extolled and highly
glorified forever.
32 Blessed are you who look into the
depths from your throne on the cherubim,
and to be praised and highly
exalted forever.
33 Blessed are you on the throne of your
kingdom,
and to be extolled and highly
exalted forever.
34 Blessed are you in the firmament of
heaven,
and to be sung and glorified
forever.
35 "Bless the Lord, all you works of
the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
36 Bless the Lord, you heavens;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
37 Bless the Lord, you angels of the
Lord;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
38 Bless the Lord, all you waters above
the heavens;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
39 Bless the Lord, all you powers of
the Lord;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
40 Bless the Lord, sun and moon;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
41 Bless the Lord, stars of heaven;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
42 "Bless the Lord, all rain and dew;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
43 Bless the Lord, all you winds;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
44 Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
45 Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer
heat;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
46 Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
47 Bless the Lord, nights and days;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
48 Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
49 Bless the Lord, ice and cold;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
50 Bless the Lord, frosts and snows;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
51 Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
52 "Let the earth bless the Lord;
let it sing praise to him
and highly exalt him forever.
53 Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
54 Bless the Lord, all that grows in
the ground;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
55 Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
56 Bless the Lord, you springs;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
57 Bless the Lord, you whales and all
that swim in the waters;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
58 Bless the Lord, all birds of the air;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
59 Bless the Lord, all wild animals and
cattle;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
60 "Bless the Lord, all people on earth;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
61 Bless the Lord, O Israel;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
62 Bless the Lord, you priests of the
Lord;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
63 Bless the Lord, you servants of the
Lord;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
64 Bless the Lord, spirits and souls
of the righteous;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
65 Bless the Lord, you who are holy and
humble in heart;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
66 "Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah,
and Mishael;
sing praise to him and highly
exalt him forever.
For he has rescued us from Hades and saved us from
the power of death,
and delivered us from the
midst of the burning fiery furnace;
from the midst of the fire
he has delivered us.
67 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is
good,
for his mercy endures forever.
68 All who worship the Lord, bless the
God of gods,
sing praise to him and give
thanks to him,
for his mercy endures forever."