Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord
A Psalm.
98 Oh sing to the Lord (A)a new song,
for he has done (B)marvelous things!
His (C)right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has (D)made known his salvation;
he has (E)revealed his righteousness in (F)the sight of the nations.
3 He has (G)remembered his (H)steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All (I)the ends of the earth have seen
(J)the salvation of our God.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was (A)filled with fury, and the expression of his face (B)was changed against (C)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army (D)to bind (E)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were (F)bound in their cloaks, their tunics,[a] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was (G)urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up (H)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell (I)bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was (J)astonished and rose up (K)in haste. He declared to his (L)counselors, “Did we not cast three men (M)bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, (N)walking in the midst of the fire, and they (O)are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like (P)a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, (Q)“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the (R)Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then (S)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the (T)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and (U)the king's counselors gathered together and saw that (V)the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their (W)cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of (X)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who (Y)has sent his angel and (Z)delivered his servants, who (AA)trusted in him, and set aside[b] the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than (AB)serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore (AC)I make a decree: Any (AD)people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of (AE)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (AF)shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted (AG)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in (AH)the province of Babylon.
21 Then (A)a mighty angel (B)took 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 will be found no more;
22 and (D)the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and (E)the sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
23 and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and (F)the voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for (G)your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived (H)by your sorcery.
24 And (I)in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of (J)all who have been slain on earth.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.