2. Then Azariah stood still and there in the fire he prayed aloud:
3. “O Lord, the God of our ancestors, we praise and adore you; may your name be honoured for ever.
4. You have treated us as we deserve. In everything you have done to us you are always honest, and when you bring us to judgement, you are always fair.
5. You did what was right when you brought disaster upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our ancestors. We deserved that judgement because of our sins.
6. We disobeyed you, we turned our backs on you, and we are guilty of every sin.
7. We did not do the things that you commanded us to do. If we had obeyed your laws, we would have prospered,
8. but now we deserve the judgement and punishment that you have brought upon us.
9. You have handed us over to lawless, hateful, and defiant enemies — to the most wicked king in the world.
18-19. Now with all our hearts we promise to obey you, worship you, and come to you in prayer. Treat us with kindness and mercy, and let us never be put to shame.
20. O Lord, rescue us with one of your miracles; bring honour to your name.
21. “Bring disgrace and shame on all who harm us. Take away their might and power and crush their strength.
22. Let them know that you alone are Lord and God and that you rule in majesty over the whole world.”
23. The king's servants who had thrown the three men into the furnace kept the fire hot by feeding it with oil, tar, flax, and brushwood.
24. The flames blazed up to a height of more than twenty metres
25. and even spread out and burnt up the Babylonians standing near the furnace.
26. But an angel of the Lord came down into the fire where the three men were. He pushed aside the flames
27. so that it felt as if a cool breeze were blowing, and the fire did not touch the men at all or hurt them in any way.
28. There in the furnace the three young men again started singing together in praise of God:
Prayer Of Azariah And The Song Of The Three Young Men 1