Psalm 98

New International Version

Psalm 98

A psalm.

¹Sing to the Lord^(A) a new song,^(B)
    for he has done marvelous things;^(C)
his right hand^(D) and his holy arm^(E)
    have worked salvation^(F) for him.
²The Lord has made his salvation known^(G)
    and revealed his righteousness^(H) to the nations.^(I)
³He has remembered^(J) his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth^(K) have seen
    the salvation of our God.^(L)

⁴Shout for joy^(M) to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵make music to the Lord with the harp,^(N)
    with the harp and the sound of singing,^(O)
⁶with trumpets^(P) and the blast of the ram’s horn^(Q)—
    shout for joy^(R) before the Lord, the King.^(S)

⁷Let the sea^(T) resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.^(U)
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,^(V)
    let the mountains^(W) sing together for joy;
⁹let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity.^(X)

Daniel 3:19-30

New International Version

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven^(A) times hotter than usual ²⁰and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego^(B) and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²²The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,^(C) ²³and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

²⁵He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

²⁶Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,^(D) come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers^(E) crowded around them.^(F) They saw that the fire^(G) had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

²⁸Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel^(H) and rescued^(I) his servants! They trusted^(J) in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.^(K) ²⁹Therefore I decree^(L) that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble,^(M) for no other god can save^(N) in this way.”

³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.^(O)

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Revelation 18:21-24

New International Version

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹Then a mighty angel^(A) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,^(B) and said:

“With such violence
    the great city^(C) of Babylon will be thrown down,
    never to be found again.
²²The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
    will never be heard in you again.^(D)
No worker of any trade
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.^(E)
²³The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.^(F)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.^(G)
    By your magic spell^(H) all the nations were led astray.
²⁴In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,^(I)
    of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”^(J)