Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Sing to Yahweh a New Song

A Psalm.

Daniel’s Friends Delivered

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with ^(A)wrath, and the image of his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He answered and said to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ And he said to certain mighty men of valor who were in his military ^[a]host to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. ²¹ Then these men were tied up in their ^[b](B)trousers, their ^[c]coats, their caps, and their other clothes and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. ²² For this reason, because the king’s word was ^[d](C)urgent and the furnace had been heated to an extraordinary degree, the flame of the fire killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. ²³ But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ^(D)fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

²⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and hurriedly stood up; he answered and said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast tied up into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “Certainly, O king.” ²⁵ He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loosed and ^(E)walking about in the midst of the fire ^[e]without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the ^(F)gods!” ²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he answered and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the ^(G)Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego ^(H)came out of the midst of the fire. ²⁷ Then the ^(I)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the ^(J)fire had no power over ^[f]the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their ^[g](K)trousers ^[h]damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the ^(L)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has ^(M)sent His angel and saved His servants who put their ^(N)trust in Him, ^[i]violating the king’s word, and gave up their bodies so as ^(O)not to serve and not to worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I ^(P)make a decree that any people, nation, or tongue that says anything offensive against the God of ^(Q)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their ^(R)houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is ^(S)no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” ³⁰ Then the king ^(T)caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to succeed in the province of Babylon.

²¹ Then ^[a]a ^(A)strong angel ^(B)picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, ^(C)the great city, be thrown down with violence, and ^(D)will not be found any longer. ²² And ^(E)the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the ^(F)sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; ²³ and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the ^(G)voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your ^(H)merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived ^(I)by your sorcery. ²⁴ And in her was found the ^(J)blood of prophets and of saints and of ^(K)all who have been slain on the earth.”