Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

63 O God, You are my God. I will seek You early. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs greatly after You in a barren and dry land, without water.

² Thus, when I behold Your power and Your Glory, I behold You as in the Sanctuary.

³ For Your lovingkindness is better than life. My lips shall praise You.

⁴ Thus will I magnify You all my life and lift up my hands in Your Name.

⁵ My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips,

⁶ When I remember You on my bed, I think upon You in the night watches.

⁷ Therefore, because You have been my helper, I will rejoice under the shadow of Your wings.

⁸ My soul clings to You. Your right hand upholds me.

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.

⁸ “And to the angel of the Church of the Smyrnians write: ‘These things says He who is first and last, Who was dead and is alive:

⁹ “I know your works and tribulation and poverty. But you are rich. And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan.

¹⁰ “Fear none of those things which you shall suffer. Behold, it shall come to pass that the devil shall cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tried. And you shall have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful to the death, and I will give you the crown of life.’

¹¹ “Let he who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.