1   They walked in the heart of the fire, praising God and blessing the Lord. 2   Azariah stood still among the flames and began to pray aloud: 3   ‘Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, thy name is worthy of praise and glorious for ever: thou art just in all thy deeds and true in all thy works; 4   straight are thy paths, and all thy judgements just. 5   Just sentence hast thou passed in all that thou hast brought upon us and upon Jerusalem the holy city of our fathers: yes, just sentence thou hast passed upon our sins. 6    7   For indeed we sinned and broke thy law in rebellion against thee, in all we did we sinned; we did not heed thy commandments, we did not keep them, we did not do what thou hadst commanded us for our good. 8   In all the punishments thou hast sent upon us thy judgements have been just. 9   Thou hast handed us over to our bitterest enemies, rebels against thy law, and to a wicked king, the vilest in the world. 10   And so now we are speechless for shame: contempt has fallen on thy servants and thy worshippers. 11   For thy honour's sake do not abandon us for ever; do not annul thy covenant. 12   Do not withdraw thy mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, thy beloved, for the sake of Isaac, thy servant, and Israel, thy holy one. 13   Thou didst promise to multiply their descendants as the stars in the sky and the sand on the sea-shore. 14   But now, Lord, we have been made the smallest of all nations; for our sins we are today the most abject in the world. 15   We have no ruler, no prophet, no leader now; there is no burnt-offering, no sacrifice, no oblation, no incense, no place to make an offering before thee and find mercy. 16   But because we come with contrite heart and humbled spirit, accept us. 17   As though we came with burnt-offerings of rams and bullocks and with thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be made before thee this day. Accept

The praises of creation our pledge of loyalty to thee, ^note for no shame shall come to those who put their trust in thee. 18   Now we will follow thee with our whole heart and fear thee. 19   We seek thy presence; do not put us to shame, but deal with us in thy forbearance and in the greatness of thy mercy. 20   Grant us again thy marvellous deliverance, and win glory for thy name, O Lord. 21   Let all who do thy servants harm be humbled; may they be put to shame and stripped of all their power, and may their strength be crushed; 22   let them know that thou alone art the Lord God, and glorious over all the world.’

23   The servants of the king who threw them in kept on feeding the furnace with naphtha, 24   pitch, tow, and faggots, and the flames poured out above it to a height of seventy-five feet. ^note 25   They spread out and burnt those Chaldaeans who were caught near the furnace. 26   But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to join Azariah and his companions; 27   he scattered the flames out of the furnace and made the heart of it as if a moist wind were whistling through. The fire did not touch them at all and neither hurt nor distressed them.

The praises of creation

28   Then the three with one voice praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace:

29   ‘Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers;
  worthy of praise, highly exalted for ever.
30   Blessed is thy holy and glorious name;
  highly to be praised, highly exalted for ever.
31   Blessed art thou in thy holy and glorious temple;
  most worthy to be hymned and glorified for ever.
32   Blessed art thou who dost behold the depths from thy seat upon the cherubim;
  worthy of praise, highly exalted for ever.
33   Blessed art thou on thy royal throne;
  most worthy to be hymned, highly exalted for ever.
34   Blessed art thou in the dome of heaven;
  worthy to be hymned and glorified for ever.

The praises of creation

35   ‘Let the whole creation bless the Lord,
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
36   Bless the Lord, you heavens;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
37   Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
38   Bless the Lord, all you waters above the heavens;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
39   Bless the Lord, all you his hosts;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
40   Bless the Lord, sun and moon;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
41   Bless the Lord, stars of heaven;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
42   Bless the Lord, all rain and dew;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
43   Bless the Lord, all winds that blow;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
44   Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
45   Bless the Lord, scorching blast and bitter cold;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
46   Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
47   Bless the Lord, nights and days;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
48   Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
49   Bless the Lord, frost and cold;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
50   Bless the Lord, rime and snow;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
51   Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.


52   ‘O earth, bless the Lord;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
53   Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

The praises of creation
54   Bless the Lord, all that grows in the ground;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
56   Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
55   Bless the Lord, you springs;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
57   Bless the Lord, you whales and all that swim in the waters;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
58   Bless the Lord, all birds of the air;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
59   Bless the Lord, you cattle and wild beasts;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.


60   ‘All men on earth, bless the Lord;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
61   Bless the Lord, O Israel;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
62   Bless the Lord, you priests of the Lord;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
63   Bless the Lord, you servants of the Lord;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
64   Bless the Lord, all men of upright spirit;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
65   Bless the Lord, you that are holy and humble in heart;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
66   Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael;
  sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
For he has rescued us from the grave and from the power of death:
  he has saved us from the furnace of burning flame;
  he has rescued us from the heart of the fire.
67   Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
  for his mercy endures for ever.
68   All who worship the Lord, bless the God of gods;
  sing his praise and give him thanks,
  for his mercy endures for ever.’

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