Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Call to Praise the Lord for His Righteousness.

A Psalm.

Daniel’s Friends Protected

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with ^(A)wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered ^[a]by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. ²¹ Then these men were tied up in their ^[b](B)trousers, their ^[c]coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. ²² For this reason, because the king’s ^[d]command was ^[e](C)urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. ²³ But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, ^(D)fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

²⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” ²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and ^(E)walking about in the midst of the fire ^[f]without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the ^(F)gods!” ²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the ^(G)Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego ^(H)came out of the midst of the fire. ²⁷ The ^(I)satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the ^(J)fire had no ^[g]effect on ^[h]the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their ^[i](K)trousers ^[j]damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the ^(L)God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has ^(M)sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their ^(N)trust in Him, ^[k]violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as ^(O)not to serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I ^(P)make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of ^(Q)Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their ^(R)houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is ^(S)no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” ³⁰ Then the king ^(T)caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

²¹ Then ^[a]a ^(A)strong angel ^(B)took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, ^(C)the great city, be thrown down with violence, and ^(D)will not be found any longer. ²² And ^(E)the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the ^(F)sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; ²³ and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the ^(G)voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your ^(H)merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived ^(I)by your sorcery. ²⁴ And in her was found the ^(J)blood of prophets and of ^[b]saints and of ^(K)all who have been slain on the earth.”