The Three Holy Children 1

Azariah's Prayer in the Furnace

1And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord.

2Then Azari´ah stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,

3Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore:[#1 Chr 29.10,20; Tob 8.5.]

4for thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth.[#Neh 9.33; Dan 9.14; Deut 32.4; Tob 3.2; Rev 16.7; 19.2.]

5In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.

6For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.[#Neh 1.7; Isa 59.12,13; Dan 9.5; Bar 1.17,18.]

7In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us.

8Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.

9And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers of God , and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world.

10And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants, and to them that worship thee.[#Ps 39.9.]

11Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant:

12and cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham's sake, for thy servant Isaac's sake, and for thy holy Israel's sake;[#2 Chr 20.7; Isa 41.8; Jas 2.23.]

13to whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore.[#Gen 15.5; 22.17.]

14For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins.[#Deut 28.62; Jer 42.2; Bar 2.13.]

15Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.[#Lam 2.9; Hos 3.4; 2 Esd 10.21,22.]

16Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted.[#Ps 51.16,17; Hos 6.6; Mic 6.7,8.]

17Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee.[#Ps 25.2,3.]

18And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face.

19Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy loving-kindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.

20Deliver us also according to thy marvelous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be ashamed;

21and let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken;[#Ps 35.26; 40.14.]

22and let them know that thou art Lord, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.[#Ps 83.18.]

The Furnace Is Heated and the Angel Enters It

23And the king's servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood;

24so that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits.

25And it passed through, and burned those Chalde´ans it found about the furnace.[#Dan 3.22.]

26But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azari´ah and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven;[#Dan 3.25,28.]

27and made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

The Three Men in the Furnace Praise God

28Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,

29Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.[#Sg Thr 3.]

30And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

31Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.[#Ps 150.1.]

32Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubim: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.[#Exod 25.22; 2 Sam 6.2; Ps 80.1; 99.1.]

33Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

34Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above all to be praised and glorified for ever.[#Ps 150.1.]

35O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 103.22; 145.10.]

36O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.4.]

37O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 103.20; 148.2.]

38O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.4.]

39O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 103.21; 148.2.]

40O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.3.]

41O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

42O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

43O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.8.]

44O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

45O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

46O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.8.]

47O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

48O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

49O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

50O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.8.]

51O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

52O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

53O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.9.]

54O all ye things that grow on the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

55O ye fountains, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

56O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 69.34.]

57O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

58O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.10.]

59O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

60O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 148.11-13.]

61O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 135.19.]

62O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

63O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Ps 134.1; 135.1.]

64O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Wis 3.1; Heb 12.23.]

65O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.[#Zeph 2.3; Sg Thr 16.]

66O Hanani´ah, Azari´ah, and Mish´a-el, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: for he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame: even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us.

67O give thanks unto the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for ever.[#Ps 106.1; 136.1,2.]

68O all ye that worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth for ever.

King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Published by: American Bible Society