Faith Unshaken in the Furnace

1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3. Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4. Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages, 5. that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6. Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace the same hour.” 7. Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 8. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews. 9. They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever! 10. You, O king, have made a decree, that every man that hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11. and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. 12. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not respected you. They don’t serve your gods, and don’t worship the golden image which you have set up.” 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king. 14. Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15. Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god that will deliver you out of my hands?” 16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17. If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” 19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20. He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21. Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. 22. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23. These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. 24. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” 25. He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. He spoke and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire. 27. The satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies. The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their pants weren’t changed, the smell of fire wasn’t even on them. 28. Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.” 30. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 2. It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked toward me. 3. How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His dominion is from generation to generation. 4. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me its interpretation. 8. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying, 9. “Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation. 10. Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great. 11. The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its sight to the end of all the earth. 12. The leaves of it were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. 13. “I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the sky. 14. He cried aloud, and said thus, ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit! Let the animals get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches. 15. Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. 16. Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him. 17. “‘The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’ 18. “This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” 19. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream, or the interpretation, trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries. 20. The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its sight to all the earth; 21. whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation: 22. it is you, O king, that have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth. 23. “Whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the sky, and saying, ‘Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him. 24. “This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king: 25. that you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass as oxen, and shall be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times shall pass over you; until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will. 26. Whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; your kingdom shall be sure to you, after that you will have known that the heavens do rule. 27. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.” 28. All this came on the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29. At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon. 30. The king spoke and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31. While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from the sky, saying, “O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: ‘The kingdom has departed from you. 32. You shall be driven from men; and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass as oxen. Seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.’” 33. This was fulfilled the same hour on Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. 34. At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. 35. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, “What are you doing?” 36. At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me. 37. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.

1. “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3. He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4. He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way. 5. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6. About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’ 7. “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’ 8. When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ 9. “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10. When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. 11. When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, 12. saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’ 13. “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? 14. Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. 15. Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’ 16. So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.” 17. As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19. and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up.” 20. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him. 21. He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.” 22. But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23. He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24. When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25. But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26. It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 27. Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, 28. even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 29. As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30. Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!” 31. The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!” 32. Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33. They told him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34. Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him. 1. When they came near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2. saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them, and bring them to me. 3. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, 5. “Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 6. The disciples went, and did just as Jesus commanded them, 7. and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them. 8. A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees, and spread them on the road. 9. The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10. When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11. The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” 12. Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. 13. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!” 14. The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant, 16. and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?’” 17. He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there. 18. Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away. 20. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?” 21. Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done. 22. All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 23. When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?” 24. Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25. The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26. But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” 27. They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28. But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29. He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. 30. He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’ m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go. 31. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you. 32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him. 33. “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. 34. When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. 35. The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way. 37. But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38. But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’ 39. So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40. When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41. They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season.” 42. Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?’ 43. “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation producing its fruit. 44. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.” 45. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them. 46. When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet. 1. Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, 3. and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. 4. Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!”’ 5. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, 6. and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7. When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. 9. Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.’ 10. Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests. 11. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, 12. and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. 13. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ 14. For many are called, but few chosen.” 15. Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. 16. They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone. 17. Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 19. Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius. 20. He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” 21. They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22. When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away. 23. On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him, 24. saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26. In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh. 27. After them all, the woman died. 28. In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.” 29. But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven. 31. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32. ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33. When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. 34. But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. 35. One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37. Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” 41. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42. saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.” 43. He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, 44. ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?’ 45. “If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46. No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forward.

1. Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in Yahweh without wavering. 2. Examine me, Yahweh, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind. 3. For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth. 4. I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites. 5. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. 6. I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh; 7. that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, and tell of all your wondrous deeds. 8. Yahweh, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells. 9. Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men; 10. in whose hands is wickedness, their right hand is full of bribes. 11. But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me. 12. My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless Yahweh.