Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

98 Sing to the LORD a new song; for He has done marvelous things! His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him the victory.

² The LORD declared His salvation. He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.

³ He has remembered His mercy and His truth toward the House of Israel. All the ends of the Earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴ Sing loud to the LORD, all the Earth! Cry out and rejoice; and sing praises!

⁵ Sing praise to the LORD upon the harp, upon the harp with a singing voice.

⁶ With shofars and sound of trumpets sing loud before the LORD the King.

⁷ Let the sea roar and all that therein is, the world and those who dwell therein.

⁸ Let the floods clap their hands! Let the mountains rejoice together

⁹ before the LORD! For He has come to judge the Earth. With righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of rage. And his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore, he commanded that they should heat the furnace to seven times hotter than it was normally heated.

²⁰ And he charged the most valiant men of war, who were in his army, to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the hot fiery furnace.

²¹ So these men were bound in their coats, their hats, and their cloaks, with their other garments, and cast into the midst of the hot fiery furnace.

²² Therefore, because the king’s commandment was urgent, that the furnace should be exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who brought forth Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the hot fiery furnace.

²⁴ Then, Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished; and rose up quickly, and spoke; and said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men, bound, into the midst of the fire?” Who answered, and said to him, “It is true, O king.”

²⁵ And he answered, and said, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the appearance of the fourth is like the son of God.

²⁶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the hot fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the servants of the high God, come out and come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came forth from the midst of the fire.

²⁷ Then the nobles, princes, and dukes, and the king’s counselors came together to see these men, because the fire had no power over their bodies. For not a hair of their head was burnt, nor their clothing, nor was any smell of fire upon them.

²⁸ So, Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his Angel, and delivered his servants, who put their trust in him; and have changed the king’s commandment, and offered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

²⁹ “Therefore, I make a decree that every people, nation, and language, which speaks any blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be torn in pieces, and their houses shall be laid waste, because there is no god that can deliver like this.”

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babel.

²¹ Then a mighty angel took up a stone, like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, “With such violence shall that great city Babylon be cast, and shall be found no more!

²² “And the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more in you. And no craftsman, of whatever craft he is, shall be found anymore in you. And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more in you.

²³ “And the light of a candle shall shine no more in you. And the voice of the bridegroom, and of the bride, shall be heard no more in you. For your merchants were the great men of the Earth. And all nations were deceived with your enchantment.

²⁴ “And in her was found the blood of the Prophets, and of the saints, and of all who were killed upon the Earth!”