Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 135
The Lord Is Great
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of the Lord.
Give praise, you servants of the Lord(A)
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.(B)
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing praise to his name, for it is delightful.(C)
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his treasured possession.(D)
5 For I know that the Lord is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.(E)
6 The Lord does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.(F)
7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from his storehouses.(G)
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both people and animals.(H)
9 He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.(I)
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:(J)
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.(K)
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.(L)
13 Lord, your name endures forever,
your reputation, Lord,
through all generations.(M)
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.(N)
Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue,(A) ninety feet high and nine feet wide.[a] He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.(B) 2 King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers(C) of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue the king had set up. Then they stood before the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 A herald loudly proclaimed, “People of every nation and language, you are commanded: 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither,[b] lyre,[c] harp, drum,[d] and every kind of music,(D) you are to fall facedown and worship(E) the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.”(F)
7 Therefore, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and every kind of music, people of every nation and language fell down and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Furnace of Blazing Fire
8 Some Chaldeans(G) took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse[e](H) the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever. 10 You as king have issued a decree(I) that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. 11 Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.(J) These men have ignored you,(K) the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
13 Then in a furious rage(L) Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue(M) I have set up? 15 Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” (N)
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists,(O) then he can rescue(P) us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can[f] rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us,[g] we want you as king to know that we will not serve(Q) your gods(R) or worship the gold statue you set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage,(S) and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary, 20 and he commanded some of the best soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So these men, in their trousers, robes, head coverings,[h] and other clothes, were tied up and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Since the king’s command was so urgent[i](T) and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames[j] killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.
Delivered from the Fire
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm.(U) He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?”
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king.
25 He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed;(V) and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”[k](W)
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.(X) 27 When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect(Y) on[l] the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.(Z) 28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel[m](AA) and rescued his servants who trusted in him.(AB) They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.(AC) 29 Therefore I issue a decree(AD) that anyone of any people, nation, or language(AE) who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump.(AF) For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.” 30 Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.(AG)
God’s Commands
3 This is how we know(A) that we know him: if we keep his commands.(B) 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word,(C) truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him:(D) 6 The one who says he remains in him(E) should walk just as he walked.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command(F) but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word(G) you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away(H) and the true light(I) is already shining.(J) 9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister(K) is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother or sister(L) remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.[a] 11 But the one who hates his brother or sister(M) is in the darkness, walks in the darkness,(N) and doesn’t know where he’s going,(O) because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.