THREE HOLY CHILDREN,

Which followeth in the third Chapter of DANIEL after this place, —fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. — Verse 23. That which followeth is not in the Hebrew, to wit, And they walked — unto these words, Then Nebuchadnezzar — Verse 24.

1 AND they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord. 2 Then Azarias stood, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said, 3 Blessed art thou, O Lord, thou God of our fathers, *Another reading is, and thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified. and worthy to be praised; and thy name is glorified for evermore: 4 For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done: yea, true are all thy works, and thy ways are right, and all thy judgements truth. 5 In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgements: for according to truth and justice hast thou brought all these things upon us because of our sins. 6 For we have sinned and committed iniquity, in departing from thee. 7 In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. 8 Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and everything that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgement. 9 And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, and most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. 10 And now we cannot open our mouth; shame and reproach have befallen thy servants, and them that worship thee. 11 Deliver us not up utterly, for thy name’s sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant: 12 and cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for the sake of Abraham that is beloved of thee, and for the sake of Isaac thy servant, and Israel thy holy one; 13 to whom thou didst promise, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is upon the sea shore. 14 For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins. 15 Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to offer before thee, and to find mercy. 16 Nevertheless in a contrite heart and a humble spirit let us be accepted; 17 like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs; so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee, for they shall not be ashamed that put their trust in thee. 18 And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face. 19 Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy kindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercy. 20 Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be confounded; 21 and let them be ashamed of all their †Some MSS. omit power and. power and might, and let their strength be broken; 22 and let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.

23 And the king’s servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the furnace hot with naphtha, pitch, tow, and small wood; 24 so that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits. 25 And it spread, and burned those Chaldeans whom it found about the furnace. 26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace together with Azarias and his fellows, and he smote the flame of the fire out of the furnace; 27 and made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

28 Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, and glorified, and blessed God in the furnace, saying, 29 Blessed art thou, O Lord, thou God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. 30 And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. 31 Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever. 32 Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubim: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. 33 Blessed art thou on the throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and ‡Another reading is, exalted. extolled above all for ever. 34 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and to be praised and glorified for ever.

35 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 36 O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 37 O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 38 O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 39 O all §Another reading is, the host. ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 40 O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 41 O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 42 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever 43 O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 44 O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 45 **Verse 45 is omitted by the best authorities. 47 ††Before this verse some authorities insert verse 46, O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye &c. O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 48 O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye cold and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 50 ‡‡Before this verse some authorities insert verse 49, O ye ice and cold, bless ye &c. O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 51 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 52 O let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever. 53 O ye mountains and hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 54 O all ye things that grow on the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 55 §§Some authorities transpose verses 56 and 55. O sea and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 56 O ye fountains, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 57 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 58 O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 59 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 60 O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 61 ***Some MSS. read O Israel, bless ye. O let Israel bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 62 O ye priests †††Some MSS. omit of the Lord. of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 63 O ye servants ‡‡‡Some MSS. omit of the Lord. of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 64 O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 65 O ye that are holy and humble of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 66 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: for he hath rescued us from §§§Or, the grave Gr. Hades. hell, and saved us from the hand of death: he hath delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame, even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us. 67 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 68 O all ye that worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth for ever.