The Prayer of Azariah

The Song of the Three Holy Children

¹ And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord.

² Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,

³ Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore:

⁴ For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments 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 judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.

⁶ For we have sinned and committed iniquity, 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 every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.

⁹ And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, 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 mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee.

¹¹ Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name’s sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant:

¹² And cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham’s sake, for thy servant Issac’s sake, and for thy holy Israel’s sake;

¹³ To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore.

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 sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.

¹⁶ Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an 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 confounded 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 lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.

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 ashamed;

²¹ And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken;

²² And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.

²³ And the king’s servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood;

²⁴ So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits.

²⁵ And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace.

²⁶ But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven;

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, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,

²⁹ Blessed art thou, O Lord 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 cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

³³ Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

³⁴ Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above all 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 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 O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁴⁶ O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁴⁷ O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: bless 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.

⁴⁹ O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁵⁰ 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: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁵³ O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁵⁴ O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁵⁵ O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁵⁶ O ye seas and rivers, 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 O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁶² O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

⁶³ O ye servants 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 holy and humble men 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 delivered us from hell, and saved us from the hand of death, and 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, because he is gracious: 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.