Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Sing to Yahweh a New Song

A Psalm.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an ^(A)image of gold, the height of which was ^[a]sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the ^(B)province of Babylon. ² Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the ^(C)satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. ³ Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they were standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴ Then the herald loudly called out: “To you it is said, ^(D)O peoples, nations, and men of every tongue, ⁵ that at the time you ^(E)hear the sound of the horn, flute, ^[b]lyre, ^[c]trigon, ^[d]psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. ⁶ But whoever does not fall down and worship shall ^[e]immediately be ^(F)cast into the midst of a ^(G)furnace of blazing fire.” ⁷ Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, ^[f]lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

We Will Not Serve Your Gods

⁸ For this reason at that time certain ^(H)Chaldeans came near and ^[g](I)brought charges against the Jews. ⁹ They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “^(J)O king, live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, have ^(K)made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, ^[h]lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to ^(L)fall down and worship the golden image. ¹¹ But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. ¹² There are certain Jews whom you have ^(M)appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, do not pay attention to you; they do not serve your gods and do not worship the golden image which you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar in ^(N)rage and wrath said to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you are not serving ^(O)my gods and do not worship the golden image that I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready, ^(P)at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, ^[i]lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, then you shall fall down and worship the image that I have made. But if you do not worship, you will ^[j]immediately be ^(Q)cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and ^(R)what god is there who can save you out of my hands?”

^16 (S)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to respond to you with an answer concerning this matter. ^17 [k]If it be so, our ^(T)God whom we serve is able to save us from the furnace of blazing fire; ^[l]and ^(U)He will save us out of your hand, O king. ^18 (V)But if not, ^(W)let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Fallen Is Babylon

18 After these things I saw another ^(A)angel ^(B)coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was ^(C)illumined with his glory. ² And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “^[a](D)Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she ^(E)has become a dwelling place of demons and a ^[b]prison of every ^(F)unclean spirit, and a ^[c]prison of every unclean bird ^[d]and a ^[e]prison of every unclean and hateful beast. ³ For all the nations ^[f]have drunk of the ^(G)wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, and ^(H)the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the ^(I)merchants of the earth have become rich by the power of her ^[g](J)sensuality.”

⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “^(K)Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; ⁵ for her sins have ^[h](L)piled up as high as heaven, and God has ^(M)remembered her iniquities. ^6 (N)Pay her back even as she paid, and ^[i]give her back double according to her deeds; in the ^(O)cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. ^7 (P)To the degree that she glorified herself and ^(Q)lived ^[j]sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning, for she says in her heart, ‘^(R)I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ ⁸ For this reason ^(S)in one day her plagues will come, ^[k]pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be ^(T)burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her ^(U)is strong.

⁹ “And ^(V)the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and ^(W)lived ^[l]sensuously with her, will ^(X)cry and lament over her when they ^(Y)see the smoke of her burning, ^10 (Z)standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘^(AA)Woe, woe, ^(AB)the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in ^(AC)one hour your judgment has come.’

¹⁹ And they threw ^(A)dust on their heads and were crying out, crying and mourning, saying, ‘^(B)Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who have ships at sea ^(C)became rich by her ^[a]wealth, for in ^(D)one hour she has been laid ^(E)waste!’ ^20 (F)Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and ^(G)apostles and prophets, because ^(H)God has ^[b]pronounced judgment for you against her.”