Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Longing for God

A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.^[a]

The Wrath of the King and His Fiery Furnace of Death

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger and the image of his face was changed toward^[a] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so he ordered and said^[b] to heat up the one furnace seven times what was usual to heat it up. ²⁰ And he commanded the strongest men of the guards^[c] who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. ²¹ Then these men were bound with their garments, their trousers and their turbans and their other clothing, and they were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. ²² Therefore^[d] because^[e] the word of the king was severe and the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed these men who lifted up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. ²³ But these men, the three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and they were bound.

²⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in haste and he asked, saying to his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? They answered, saying to the king, “Certainly, O king!” ²⁵ He answered,^[f] saying, “Look, I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and there is no damage to them, and the^[g] appearance of the fourth man resembles the son of a god.” ²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire, and he called out, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants^[h] of the Most High God, come out^[i] and come here!” ²⁷ And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the advisors of the king were assembling, and they saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, and the hair of their heads was^[j] not singed, and their garments were not harmed, and the smell of fire did not come from them.

The King’s Praise for the Great Deliverance of the Three Young Israelites

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar responded,^[k] saying, “Blessed be their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel^[l] and rescued his servants who trusted in him, and the command of the king they disobeyed, and they gave their bodies so that they did not serve and did not worship any god except their God. ²⁹ And from me is set forth^[m] a decree that any people, nation, or language that may utter criticism against their God—the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—will be broken into pieces and their^[n] house will be made like ruins. For^[o] there is not another God who is able to rescue like this God.” ³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

The Letter to the Church in Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

“This is what the first and the last says, who was dead and came to life: ⁹ ‘I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those who call themselves Jews^[a] and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.’