Edits, corrections and cross references by The Firmament
The Song of Three Children is contained in a group of books called Apocrypha (hidden or secret), which were once in the canonical Bible between the old and new testaments. The three children are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel 3:23 reads: “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down in the midst of the burning firey furnace.” Then, with nothing said about what happened to the three “children,” the text continues: “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?'” This song fills the gap between Daniel 3:23 and 24.
3 Children :1 “And they walked about in the midst of the fire, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord.”
3 Children :2 “And Azariah (Abednego) stood still and uttered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said,”
3 Children :3 “Blessed are you, Lord God of our forefathers, and worthy of praise! Your name is glorified forever!”
3 Children :4 “For you are upright in all that you have done; All your works are true, and your ways straight, and all your judgments are true. The sentences that you passed just.”
3 Children :5 “In all that you have brought upon us, and upon Jerusalem, the Holy City of our forefathers, for in truth and justice you have brought all these things upon us because of our sins.”
3 Children :6 “For we have sinned and done wrong in forsaking you.”
3 Children :7 “We have sinned grievously in everything, and have disobeyed your commands; we have not observed them or done as you commanded us to do, for our own good.”
3 Children :8 “All that you have brought upon us, and all that you have done to us, You have done in justice.”
3 Children :9 “You have handed us over to enemies without law, to hateful rebels, and to a ruthless king, the most wicked ruler in all the world.”
3 Children :10 “Yet we cannot open our mouths. Shame and disgrace have overtaken your slaves and your worshipers.”
3 Children :11 “For the sake of your Name, do not surrender us utterly, do not cancel your covenant.”
3 Children :12 “And do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham whom you loved, and for the sake of Isaac, your slave, and for the sake of Israel, your holy one,”
3 Children :13 “To whom you spoke, and promised that you would make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the seashore.”
3 Children :14 “For, Master, we have become fewer than all the heathen, and we are humiliated everywhere, because of our sins.”
3 Children :15 “And now there is no prince, or prophet, or leader, no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or offering, or incense; No place to make an offering before you, or to find mercy.”
3 Children :16 “But may we be accepted through a contrite heart and a humble spirit,”
3 Children :17 “As though it were through whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and through tens of thousands of fat lambs; so let our sacrifice rise before you today, and fully follow after you, For those who trust in you will not be disappointed.”
3 Children :18 “So now we follow you with all our hearts; we revere you, and seek your face.”
3 Children :19 “Do not disappoint us, but deal with us in your loving kindness and your abundant mercy.”
3 Children :20 “Deliver us in your wonderful way, and glorify your name, Lord; May all who do your slaves harm be disgraced;”
3 Children :21 “May they be put to shame and lose all their power and might, and may their strength be broken.”
3 Children :22 “Let them know that you are the Lord God alone, glorious over the whole world.”
3 Children :23 “Now the king’s servants who threw them in never ceased feeding the furnace fires with naphtha (rosin), pitch, tow, and faggots (small wood),”
3 Children :24 “And the flame streamed out above the furnace for forty-nine cubits.”
3 Children :25 “It even spread, and burned up those Chaldeans whom it found about the furnace.”
3 Children :26 “But the angel of the Lord came down to join Azariah (Abednego) and his companions in the furnace, and drove the fiery blaze out of the furnace,”
3 Children :27 “And made the middle of the furnace as though a moist wind was whistling through it, and the fire did not touch them at all, or harm or trouble them.”
3 Children :28 “Then all three, as with one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed God in the furnace, and said:”
3 Children :29 “Blessed are you, Lord God of our forefathers, and to be praised and greatly exalted forever.”
3 Children :30 “And blessed is your glorious, holy Name, and to be highly praised and greatly exalted forever.”
3 Children :31 “Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, and to be highly praised and greatly glorified forever.”
3 Children :32 “Blessed are you who sit upon winged creatures (cherubim), and look into the depths, and to be praised and greatly exalted forever.”
3 Children :33 “Blessed are you on your kingly throne, and to be highly praised and greatly exalted forever.”
3 Children :34 “Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, and to be praised and glorified forever.”
3 Children :35 “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :36 “Bless the Lord, you heavens, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :37 “Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :38 “Bless the Lord, all you waters above the heaven, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :39 “Bless the Lord, all you powers, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :40 “Bless the Lord, sun and moon; sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :41 “Bless the Lord, you stars of heaven, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :42 “Bless the Lord, all rain and dew, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :43 “Bless the Lord, all you winds, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :44 “Bless the Lord, fire and heat, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :45 “Bless the Lord, cold and warmth, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :46 “Bless the Lord, dews and snows, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :47 “Bless the Lord, nights and days, sing praise to him, and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :48 “Bless the Lord, light and darkness, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :49 “Bless the Lord, ice and cold, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :50 “Bless the Lord, frosts and snows, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :51 “Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :52 “Let the earth bless the Lord, let it sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :53 “Bless the Lord, you mountains and hills, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :54 “Bless the Lord, all things that grow on the earth, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :55 “Bless the Lord, seas and rivers, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :56 “Bless the Lord, you springs, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :57 “Bless the Lord, you whales and all the things that move in the waters, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :58 “Bless the Lord, all you wild birds, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :59 “Bless the Lord, all you animals and cattle, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :60 “Bless the Lord, you sons of men, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :61 “Bless the Lord, O Israel, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :62 “Bless the Lord, you priests of the Lord, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :63 “Bless the Lord, you slaves of the Lord, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :64 “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the upright, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :65 “Bless the Lord, you who are holy and humble in heart, sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever.”
3 Children :66 “Bless the Lord, Hananiah (Shadrach), Azariah (Abednego), and Mishael (Meshach), sing praise to him and greatly exalt him forever, for he has rescued us from Hades and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us from the burning fiery furnace; From the midst of the fire he has delivered us.”
3 Children :67 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is kind, for his mercy endures forever.”
3 Children :68 “Bless him, all you who worship the Lord, the God of gods, sing praise to him and give thanks to him, for his mercy endures forever.”