Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 98[a]
A psalm.
98 Sing to the Lord a new song,[b]
for he performs[c] amazing deeds.
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance.[d]
2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver;[e]
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel.[f]
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.[g]
4 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth.
Break out in a joyful shout and sing!
5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music.
6 With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn,
shout out praises before the king, the Lord.
7 Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
9 before the Lord.
For he comes to judge the earth.
He judges the world fairly,[h]
and the nations in a just manner.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed[a] toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders[b] to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 20 He ordered strong[c] soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes,[d] and were thrown into the furnace[e] of blazing fire. 22 But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted[f] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed[g] by the leaping flames.[h] 23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace[i] of blazing fire while still securely bound.[j]
God Delivers His Servants
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw[k] into[l] the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.” 25 He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!”[m] 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out,[n] “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire.[o] 27 Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically[p] unharmed by the fire.[q] The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!
28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,[r] “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel[s] and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring[t] the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than[u] serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! 29 I hereby decree[v] that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes[w] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.” 30 Then Nebuchadnezzar[x] promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
21 Then[a] one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force[b]
Babylon the great city will be thrown down[c]
and it will never be found again!
22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,
flute players, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you[d] again.
No[e] craftsman[f] who practices any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the noise of a mill[g] will never be heard in you again.
23 Even the light from a lamp
will never shine in you again!
The voices of the bridegroom and his bride
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,
because all the nations[h] were deceived by your magic spells![i]
24 The[j] blood of the saints and prophets was found in her,[k]
along with the blood[l] of all those who had been killed on the earth.”
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