In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king made a golden image - its height was sixty cubits, and its width was six cubits - and placed it in the field of Deir in the country of Babylon. And the king sent Nebuchadnezzar to gather the chief officers, the captains of the army, the governors, the chiefs and the rulers, and all those in authority, and all the princes of the countries, to come to the unveiling of the image, which the king Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the governors, the highest officials, the military leaders, the rulers, the high-ranking and powerful people and all the leaders of the countries gathered to unveil the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “It is announced to you, nations, peoples, tribes and tongues! The moment you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the sambika, the harp, and the symphony of all kinds of musical instruments, fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship will be immediately thrown into a fiery furnace.”
And when the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute and the harp, the samvik and the harp and the symphonies of all kinds of musical instruments, then all peoples, tribes and languages worshiped the golden image, which King Nebuchadnezzar had set before them. Then some of the Chaldeans came up and slandered the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar: “O King, live forever! You, O king, have issued a decree that every person who hears the sound of the trumpet, and the flute, and the harp, the sambika and the harp, and the symphony of all kinds of musical instruments, and does not fall and worship the golden image, will be thrown into a fiery furnace. But there are men of Judah whom you have placed over the affairs of the land of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who did not listen to your commands, O king, and do not serve your gods, and do not worship the golden image that you set up.” Then King Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and anger, ordered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be brought; and these men were brought to the king.
And Nebuchadnezzar said to them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods, and do not worship the golden image that I have set up? From now on, if you are ready, then as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the sambika, the harp and the symphony of all kinds of musical instruments, then fall down and worship the golden image that I have made; If you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into a fiery furnace, and what god will deliver you from my hand?” And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar: “We do not need to answer you to this word. For there is our God in heaven, whom we serve, who is able to take us out of the fiery furnace and deliver us from your hand, O king. If not, then it will be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods and we do not bow to the golden image you made.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the appearance of his face changed to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and he said: “Fire the furnace seven times hotter until it burns completely.”
And he said to the strongest men: “Binding Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, throw them into a fiery furnace.” Then these men were bound in their undergarments, and in their hats, and in their shoes, and in their clothes, and they were thrown into the middle of a fiery furnace. Since the king’s command was very strict and the furnace was extremely hot, the men who abandoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were killed by the fiery flame. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, bound, fell into the middle of a fiery furnace. And they walked among the flames, chanting to God and blessing the Lord. And Azariah stood with them and prayed and opened his mouth in the midst of the flames and said this:
“Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, praised and glorified is Your name forever. For You are righteous in all that You have done to us, and all Your works are true, and Your ways are right, and all Your judgments are true. You carried out true judgments in everything that you brought upon us and on the holy city of our fathers, Jerusalem, because in truth and in judgment you brought all this upon us for our sins. For we have sinned and acted lawlessly, turning away from You, and we have sinned in everything. And they did not listen to Your commandments and did not keep them, and did not do as You commanded us, so that it would be good for us. And everything that You brought upon us, and everything that You did to us, you did according to true judgment. And he delivered us into the hands of lawless enemies, hated apostates, and to the unjust and most evil king on all the earth. And now we cannot open our lips; We have become a shame and reproach to Your servants and those who honor You. But do not betray us forever for the sake of Your name and do not destroy Your covenant.
And take not Thy mercy from us for the sake of Abraham, Thy beloved, and for the sake of Isaac, Thy servant, and Thy holy Israel, to whom Thou hast said that Thou shalt multiply their seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore. We have been humbled, O Lord, more than all nations, and we are humiliated throughout the whole earth today for our sins. And at the present time there is no prince, no prophet, no leader, no burnt offering, no sacrifice, no offering, no incense, no place for us to offer sacrifice to You and find mercy. But with a contrite soul and a humble spirit, let us be accepted. As with burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and as with many fat lambs, so may our sacrifice before You today be acceptable to You; for there is no shame for those who trust in You. And now we follow with all our hearts and fear You and seek Your face. Do not disgrace us, but deal with us according to Your condescension and according to the abundance of Your mercy. And deliver us according to Your wonders, and give glory to Your name, O Lord.
And let all who do evil to Thy servants be put to shame; and let them be ashamed with all their might, and let their strength be broken; and let them know that You are the Lord God, one and glorious in the whole universe.”
Meanwhile, the king’s servants, who had abandoned them, did not stop lighting the stove with oil, tar, tow and brushwood; and the flame rose above the furnace forty-nine cubits; and he broke out and burned those of the Chaldeans whom he caught near the furnace. But the angel of the Lord descended into the furnace along with those who were with Azariah. And he threw the flame of fire out of the furnace, and made it so that in the middle of the furnace there was, as it were, a noisy humid wind, and the fire did not touch them at all, and did not harm them, and did not bother them. Then these three, as if with one mouth, sang in the oven and blessed and glorified God, saying:
“Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, praised and exalted forever, and blessed is the name of Your glory, holy and highly praised and exalted forever. Blessed are You in the church of Your holy glory, highly praised and exalted forever. Blessed are You, who sees the deep, who sits on the cherubim, and is highly praised and exalted forever. Blessed are You on the throne of glory of Your kingdom, highly praised and exalted forever. Blessed are You in the firmament of heaven, highly praised and exalted forever.”
Reader: Sing and exalt the Lord to all ages.
Here they rise and sing in both faces.
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
The reader speaks the verses in order:
Bless all the works of the Lord,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the Angels of the Lord,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the heavens
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless all the waters that are higher than the heavens,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless all the powers of the Lord,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the sun and moon,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the stars of heaven,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless all rain and dew,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless all souls,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the fire and the pitch,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the cold and heat,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the dew and frost,
Face: Lords, sing and exalt Him forever.
Bless the nights and days,
Face: Lords, sing praises and exalt Him forever.
Bless the light and darkness,