Apocrypha of the Old Testament

Home

Library

Search for:

THE PRAYER OF AZARIAH AND THE SONG OF THE THREE CHILDREN

The Prayer of Azariah, 1–22.

1 And they walked in the midst of the fire, singing the praise of God, and blessing the Lord. 2 Then Azarias stood up with his companions 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, and worthy to be praised: 4 and thy name is glorified for evermore: for thou art just in all the things that thou hast done, and all thy works are true, and thy ways 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, and we have sinned grievously in all things, 7 and have neither hearkened unto thy commandments nor kept them, nor done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. 8 So 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 a king unjust 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, 12 neither disannul thou thy covenant; 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 wouldst multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is upon the seashore. 14 For we, O Master, have been made less than all the nations, and are brought low 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 But 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 according to thy forbearance, 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: 21 and let all them that do thy servants hurt be confounded, and let them be brought to shame and deprived of all their dominion, and let their strength be broken; 22 and let them know that thou art the Lord, God, sole 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 drove 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:

The Song of the Three Children, 29–68.

29 Blessed art thou, O Lord, thou God of our fathers,

And to be praised and highly exalted for ever.

30 And blessed is thy glorious and holy name,

And to be highly praised and highly exalted for ever.

31 Blessed art thou in the temple of thy holy glory,

And to be highly sung and highly glorified for ever.

32 Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths and sittest upon the cherubim,

And to be praised and highly exalted for ever.

33 Blessed art thou on the throne of thy kingdom,

And to be highly sung and highly exalted for ever.

34 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven,

And to be sung and glorified for ever.

35 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord,