My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, ^(A)when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was ^(A)filled with fury, and the expression of his face ^(B)was changed against ^(C)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army ^(D)to bind ^(E)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹ Then these men were ^(F)bound in their cloaks, their tunics,^[a] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. ²² Because the king's order was ^(G)urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up ^(H)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell ^(I)bound into the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was ^(J)astonished and rose up ^(K)in haste. He declared to his ^(L)counselors, “Did we not cast three men ^(M)bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” ²⁵ He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, ^(N)walking in the midst of the fire, and they ^(O)are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like ^(P)a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ^(Q)“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the ^(R)Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then ^(S)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. ²⁷ And the ^(T)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and ^(U)the king's counselors gathered together and saw that ^(V)the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their ^(W)cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of ^(X)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who ^(Y)has sent his angel and ^(Z)delivered his servants, who ^(AA)trusted in him, and set aside^[b] the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than ^(AB)serve and worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore ^(AC)I make a decree: Any ^(AD)people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of ^(AE)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ^(AF)shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” ³⁰ Then the king promoted ^(AG)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in ^(AH)the province of Babylon.

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of ^(A)the first and the last, ^(B)who died and came to life.

⁹ “‘I know your tribulation and ^(C)your poverty (^(D)but you are rich) and the slander^[a] of ^(E)those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, ^(F)that you may be tested, and for ^(G)ten days ^(H)you will have tribulation. ^(I)Be faithful ^(J)unto death, and I will give you ^(K)the crown of life. ^11 (L)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(M)The one who conquers will not be hurt by ^(N)the second death.’