1. NABVCHODONOSOR the king made a statua of gold in height of sixtie cubites, in bredth of six cubits, and he set it in the fild of Dura of the prouince of Babylon.
2. Therfor Nabuchodonosor the king sent to cal to gether the nobles, the magistrates, and iudges, dukes, and tyrants, and rulers, and al the princes of the countries, that they should come together to the dedication of the statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had erected.
3. Then were the nobles gathered together, the magistrates, and iudges, the dukes, and tyrants, & the great men that were placed in regiments, and al the princes of the countries, to come together to the dedication of the statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had erected. And they stood in the sight of the statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had set vp.
4. And the cryer cried mightely: To you peoples, and tribes, and tongues it is said:
5. In the houre that you shal heare the sound of the trumpet, & pipe, and harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, and symphonie, & al kind of musical instruments: falling adore ye the golden statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king hath set vp.
6. But if any man shal not adore prostrate, he shal the self same houre be cast into a fornace of burning fyre.
7. After this therfore forthwith as al the peoples heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, & harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, of the symphonie, and of al kind of musical instruments: al the peoples, tribes, and tongues falling adored the golden statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had set vp.
8. And forthwith in the very same time men of Chaldee coming accused the Iewes,
9. and sayd to Nabuchodonosor the king: King for euer liue:
10. thou, o king hast made a decree, that euerie man which shal heare the sound of the trumpet, of the pipe, and harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, of the symphonie, and of al kind of musical instrumentes, prostrate himself, and adore the golden statua:
11. and if any man do not prostrate on the grond adore, that he be cast into a fornace of burning fyre.
12. There are therfore men of Iewrie, whom thou didst appoynte ouer the workes of the countrie of Babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: these men, o king, haue contemned thy decree: thy goddes they worshipe not, and the golden statua, which thou hast erected, they adore not.
13. Then Nabuchodonosor in furie, and in wrath commanded, that Sidrach, Misach, & Abdenago should be brought: who immediatly were brought before the king.
14. And Nabuchodonosor the king pronouncing, sayd to them: In dede Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, doe not you worshipe my goddes, & the golden statua that I have set vp doe not you adore?
15. Now therfore if you be readie, in what houre soeuer you shal heare the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, and symphonie, and of al kind of musical instruments, prostrate your selues, & adore the statua which I haue made: but if you adore not, the selfe same houre you shal be cast into the fornace of burning fyre: and what God is there that shal deliuer you out of my hand?
16. Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago asnwering said to king Nabuchodonsor: We must not answer thee concerning this thing.
17. For behold our God, whom we worshipe, can save vs from the fornace of burning fyre, and out of thy handes, o king, deliuer vs.
18. But if he wil not, be it knowen to thee, o king, that we worshipe not thy goddes, & the golden statua, which thou hast erected, we adore not.
19. Then was Nabuchodonosor replenished with furie: and the looke of his face was altered vpon Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and he commanded that the fornace should be heated seuen times more, then it had bene accustomed to be heated.
20. And commanded the strongest men of his host, to binde the feete of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the fornace of burning fyre.
21. And forthwith those men being bound with their breeches, and head attire, and shoes, and garments were cast into the fornace of burning fyre.
22. For the commandment of the king did not vrge, and the fornace was heated exedingly. Moreouer the flame of the fyre slew those men, that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago.
23. But these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago fel in the middes of the fornace of burning fire, bound together.
24. And they walked in the middes of the flame praysing God, and blessing our Lord.
25. And Azarias standing prayed thus, and opening his mouth in the middes of the fire, he sayd:
26. Blessed art thou o Lord the God of our fathers, and laudable, and glorious is thy name for euer:
27. because thou art iust in al thinges, which thou hast done to vs, and al thy workes are true, and thy wayes right, and al thy iudgements true.
28. For thou hast done true iudgements according to al thinges, that thou hast brought vpon vs, and vpon the holie citie of our fathers Ierusalem: because in truth, & in iudgement thou hast brought in al these thinges for our sinnes.
29. For we haue sinned, and done vnjustly reuolting from thee: and we haue offended in al thinges;
30. and thy precepts we haue not heard, nor obserued, nor done as thou hadst commanded vs, that it might be wel with vs.
31. Al thinges therfore that thou hast brought in vpon vs, and al thinges that thou hast done to vs, thou hast done with true iudgement:
32. and thou hast deliuered vs into the handes of our enemies vnjust, and most wicked aboue al the earth.
33. And now we can not open the mouth: we are become a confusion, and reproch to thy seruants, & to them that worshipe thee.
34. Deliuer vs not for euer, we besech thee, for thy name sake, and dissipate not thy testament:
35. neither take thou away thy mercie from vs, for Abraham thy beloued, and Isaac thy seruant, and Israel thy holie one:
36. to whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldest multiplie their seede as the starres of heauen, and as the sand that is in the sea shore.
37. Because o Lord we are deminished more then al nations, and are abased in al the earth this day for our sinnes.
38. And there is not at this time prince, & duke, and prophet, nor holocaust, nor sacrifice, nor oblation, nor incense, nor place of first fruits before thee,
39. that we may finde thy mercie: but in contrite minde, & spirit of humilitie let vs be receiued.
40. As in holocaust of rammes, and bulles, and as in thousands of fat lambes: so let our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee: because there is no confusion to them that trust in thee.
41. And now we folow thee in al our hart, and feare thee, and seeke thy face.
42. Confound vs not, but doe with vs according to thy meekenes, and according to the multitude of thy mercie.
43. And deliuer vs in thy meruels, and geue glorie to thy name o Lord:
44. and let al be confounded that shew euils to thy seruants, let them be confounded in al thy might, and let their strength be broken:
45. and let them know that thou art the Lord, the onlie God, and glorious ouer the round world.
46. And the kings seruants that had cast them in, ceased not to heate the fornace, with naphtha, and tow, and pitch, and drie stickes,
47. and the flame mounted out aboue the fornace nine and fourtie cubits:
48. and it brake forth, and burnt them whom it found by the fornace, of the Chaldees.
49. But the Angel of our Lord descended with Azarias, and his felowes into the fornace: and he shooke the flame of the fire out of the fornace,
50. and made the middes of the fornace as a winde of dew blowing, and the fire touched them not at al, nor payned them, nor did them anie greuance.
51. Then these three as out of one mouth praysed, and glorified, and blessed God in the fornace, saying:
52. Blessed art thou o Lord the God of our fathers: and laudable, and glorious, and superexalted for euer: and blessed is the holie name of thy glorie: and laudable, and superexalted in al ages.
53. Blessed art thou in the holie temple of thy glorie: & passing laudable, and passing glorious for euer.
54. Blessed art thou in the throne of thy kingdom, and passing laudable, and superexalted for euer.
55. Blessed art thou, that beholdest the depths, and sittest vpon the Cherubs: and laudable, and superexalted for euer.
56. Blessed art thou in the firmament of heauen: and laudable and glorious for euer.
57. Al workes of our Lord blesse ye our Lord, prayse and superexalt him for euer.
58. Blesse our Lord ye Angels of our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
59. Ye heauens blesse our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
60. Al waters that are aboue the heauens, blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
61. Blesse our Lord al ye powers of our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
62. Sunne and moone blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
63. Starres of heauens blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
64. Euerie shower, & dew blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
65. Al spirits of God blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
66. Fire and heate blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
67. Colde and heate blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
68. Dewes and hore frost blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
69. Frost and cold blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
70. Yse and snowes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
71. Nightes and dayes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
72. Light and darknes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
73. Lightenings and cloudes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
74. Let the earth blesse our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
75. Mountaines and litle hilles blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
76. Al things that spring in the earth blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
77. Blesse our Lord ye fountaines: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
78. Seas and riuers blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
79. Whales, and al things that moue in the waters, blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
80. Blesse our Lord al ye foules of heauen: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
81. Al beasts and cattel blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
82. Sonnes of men blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
83. Let Israel blesse our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
84. Priests of our Lord blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
85. Seruants of our Lord blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
86. Spirits and soules of the iust blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
87. Holie and humble of hart blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.
88. Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer. Because he hath deliuered vs from hel, and saued vs out of the hand of death, and deliuered vs out of the middes of the burning flame, and out of the middes of the fire hath he rid vs.
89. Confesse ye to our Lord, because he is good: because his mercie is for euer.
90. Al religious blesse ye our Lord the God of goddes: prayse and confesse ye to him, because his mercie is vnto al worldes.
91. Then Nabuchodonosor the king was astonied, and he arose hastely, & said to his nobles: Did we not cast three men fettered into the middes of the fire? Who answering the king, said: It is true o king.
92. He answered, and said: Behold I see foure men loose, and walking in the middes of the fire, and there is no corruption in them, & the forme of the fourth is like to the sonne of God.
93. Then came Nabuchodonosor to the doore of the fornace of burning fire, and said: Sidrach, Misach, & Abdenago, seruants of the high God, goe ye forth, and come. And forthwith Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago went out of the middes of the fire.
94. And the nobles, and the magistrates, and iudges, and the potentates of the king being gathered together, beheld those men, that the fire had no powre on their bodies, & not a heare of their head was singed, yea their breeches were not altered, & the sent of the fire had not passed by them.
95. And Nabuchodonosor breaking forth, said: Blessed be the God of them, to witte, of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his Angel, and hath deliuered his seruants that deleued in him: and they changed the kings word, & deliuered their bodies that they might not serue, and might not adore anie god, except their owne God.
96. By me therfore this decree is made, that euerie people, tribe, and tongue, whatsoeuer shal speake blasphemie against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, he perish, and his house be wasted: for there is none other God, that can so saue.
97. Then did the king promote Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago in the prouince of Babylon.
98. Nabuchodonosor the king, to al peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwel in the whol earth, peace be multiplied vnto you.
99. The high God hath wrought signes and meruelous thinges with me. It hath pleased me therfore to publish
100. his signes, because they are great: and his meruels, because they are strong: and his kingdom an euerlasting kingdom, & his powre in generation and to generation.