Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgment

A Psalm.

The Image of Gold

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was ^[a]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ² And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³ So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴ Then a herald cried ^[b]aloud: “To you it is commanded, ^(A)O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵ that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; ⁶ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall ^(B)be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

⁷ So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

⁸ Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans ^(C)came forward and accused the Jews. ⁹ They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ^(D)“O king, live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; ¹¹ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^12 (E)There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have ^(F)not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in ^(G)rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, ^(H)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^(I)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ^(J)we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our ^(K)God whom we serve is able to ^(L)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ^(M)worship the gold image which you have set up.”

The Fall of Babylon the Great

18 After^(A) these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, ^(B)and the earth was illuminated with his glory. ² And he cried ^[a]mightily with a loud voice, saying, ^(C)“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and ^(D)has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and ^(E)a cage for every unclean and hated bird! ³ For all the nations ^(F)have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, ^(G)and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the ^[b]abundance of her luxury.”

⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ^(H)“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ^5 (I)For her sins ^[c]have reached to heaven, and ^(J)God has remembered her iniquities. ^6 (K)Render to her just as she rendered ^[d]to you, and repay her double according to her works; ^(L)in the cup which she has mixed, ^(M)mix double for her. ^7 (N)In the measure that she glorified herself and lived ^[e]luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as ^(O)queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ ⁸ Therefore her plagues will come ^(P)in one day—death and mourning and famine. And ^(Q)she will be utterly burned with fire, ^(R)for strong is the Lord God who ^[f]judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

^9 (S)“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her ^(T)will weep and lament for her, ^(U)when they see the smoke of her burning, ¹⁰ standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ^(V)‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! ^(W)For in one hour your judgment has come.’

^19 (A)“They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! ^(B)For in one hour she ^[a]is made desolate.’

^20 (C)“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you ^[b]holy apostles and prophets, for ^(D)God has avenged you on her!”