Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three 1

1Thus Hananiah and Azariah and Mishael prayed, and they sang praise to the Lord when the king ordered them to be thrown into the furnace.

2Then Azariah stood and prayed thus, and opening his mouth he gave thanks to the Lord together with his companions in the midst of the fire, while the furnace was being intensely heated by the Chaldeans. And they said,

3Blessed are you, Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name forever,

4For you are righteous in all that you have done to us, and all your works are true, and your ways are straight, and all your judgments are true.

5And you have executed true judgments in all that you have brought upon us and upon your holy city, Jerusalem, the city of our fathers; for in truth and judgment you have done all these things because of our sins.

6for we have sinned in all things, and we have acted lawlessly by turning away from you, and we have sinned greatly in all things.

7And we have not obeyed the commands of your law, nor kept them, nor done as you commanded us, so that it might go well with us.

8And now, all that you have brought upon us, and all that you have done to us, you have done in true judgment,

9And you gave us into the hands of our lawless enemies, hateful rebels, and to an unjust and most wicked king in all the earth.

10And now we cannot open our mouth; shame and reproach have come upon your servants and those who revere you.

11Do not give us over utterly for the sake of your name, and do not break your covenant.

12And do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham your beloved, and Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one.

13just as you spoke to them, saying that their offspring would be multiplied like the stars of heaven in number and like the sand by the shore of the sea.

14For, Master, we have become smaller than all the nations, and today we are humbled in all the earth because of our sins.

15And at this time there is no ruler or prophet or leader, no whole burnt offering or sacrifice or offering or incense, and no place to bring firstfruits before you and to find mercy.

16but may we be accepted with a broken soul and a humbled spirit;

17As with whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and as with tens of thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be before you today and make atonement before you, for there is no shame for those who have put their trust in you, and let it be brought to completion before you.

18And now we follow after you with our whole heart, and we fear you, and we seek your face.

19Do not put us to shame, but show us mercy according to your gentleness and according to the abundance of your mercy,

20And deliver us according to your wonders, and give glory to your name, O Lord;

21And let all who show evil to your servants be put to shame, and let them be disgraced from all their dominion, and let their strength be broken.

22let them know that you alone are the Lord God and glorious over all the inhabited earth.

23And the king’s attendants who threw them in did not stop feeding the furnace with naphtha and pitch and tow and brushwood, keeping it burning.

24And the flame spread above the furnace to forty-nine cubits,

25and it swept through and burned up those Chaldeans whom it found around the furnace.

26But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace together with those around Azariah, and drove the flame of the fire out of the furnace,

27And he made the inside of the furnace like a whistling dew-laden wind, and the fire did not touch them at all, nor did it distress or trouble them.

28Then the three, as with one mouth, were singing hymns and glorifying and blessing God in the furnace, saying:

29Blessed are you, Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and highly exalted forever; and blessed is your holy, glorious name, and supremely praised and highly exalted through all the ages.

30Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, and highly praised and exceedingly glorious forever.

31Blessed are you, who look upon the depths, seated upon the cherubim, and praised and highly exalted forever.

32Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, and greatly praised and highly exalted forever.

33Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, and praised and glorified forever.

34Bless the Lord, all the works of the Lord; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

35Bless the Lord, angels of the Lord; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

36Bless the Lord, O heavens; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

37Bless the Lord, waters and all that are above the heavens; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

38Let every power bless the Lord; sing praise and highly exalt him forever.

39Bless the Lord, sun and moon; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

40Bless the Lord, stars of heaven; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

41Bless the Lord, all rain and dew; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

42Bless the Lord, all spirits; sing praise and highly exalt him forever.

43Bless the Lord, fire and heat; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

44Bless the Lord, frost and cold; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

45Bless the Lord, dews and showers; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

46Bless the Lord, frost and cold; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

47Bless the Lord, frost and snow; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

48Bless the Lord, nights and days; sing praise and highly exalt him forever.

49Bless the Lord, light and darkness; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

50Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

51Let the earth bless the Lord; let it sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

52Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; sing praise and highly exalt him forever.

53Bless the Lord, all things that grow on the earth; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

54Bless the Lord, rains and springs; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

55Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

56Bless the Lord, sea creatures and all that move in the waters; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

57Bless the Lord, all birds of the sky; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

58Bless the Lord, four-footed animals and beasts of the earth; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

59Bless the Lord, sons of men; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

60Bless the Lord, Israel; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

61Bless the Lord, priests; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

62Bless the Lord, servants; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

63Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous; sing hymns and highly exalt him forever.

64Bless the Lord, you holy and humble in heart; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

65Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. For he has delivered us from Hades, and saved us from the hand of death, and rescued us from the midst of the burning flame, and redeemed us from the fire.

66Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.

67Bless the Lord, all you who fear the Lord, the God of gods; sing praise and give thanks, for his mercy is forever, even forever and ever.