 The Song of the Three Children From the Apocryphal Editions to Daniel, Dewey Reem's Version, chapters 3, verses 24 through 90. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information and to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Sam Stinson. The Song of the Three Children And they walked in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord. Then Azariah, standing up, prayed in this manner, and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire, he said, Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and thy name is worthy of praise and glorious forever. For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us, and all thy works are true, and thy ways right, and all thy judgments true. For thou hast executed true judgments in all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers. For according to truth and judgment, thou hast brought all these things upon us for our sins. For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee, and we have trespassed in all things. And we have not hearkened to thy commandments, nor have we observed, nor done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. Wherefore, all that thou hast brought upon us, and everything that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment. And thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies, that are unjust and most wicked, and prevaricators, and to a king unjust and most wicked beyond all that are upon the earth. And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame, and a reproach to thy servants, and to them that worship thee. Deliver us not up for ever, we beseech thee, for thy name's sake, and abolish not thy covenant. And take not away thy mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham thy beloved, and Isaac thy servant, and Israel thy holy one, to whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldst multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the seashore. For we, O Lord, are diminished more than any nation, and are brought low in all the earth this day for our sins. Neither is there at this time prince or leader or prophet or holocaust or sacrifice or oblation or incense or place of first fruits before thee, that we may find thy mercy. Nevertheless, in a contrite heart and humble spirit, let us be accepted, as in holocausts of rams and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs. So let our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee, for there is no confusion to them that trust in thee. And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and seek thy face. But it's not to confusion, but deal with us according to thy meekness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies, and deliver us according to thy wonderful works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord. And let all them be confounded, that show evils to thy servants. Let them be confounded in all thy might, and let their strength be broken. And let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God, and glorious over all the world. Now, the king's servants that had cast them in, ceased not to heat the furnace with brimstone and toe, and pitch and dry sticks, and the flame mounted up above the furnace, nine and fourth cubits. And it broke forth and burnt such of the Chaldeans as it found near the furnace. But the angel of the Lord went down with Azarias and his companions into the furnace, and he drove the flame of the fire out of the furnace, and made the midst of the furnace like the blowing of a wind bringing dew, and the fire touched them not at all, nor troubled them, nor did them any harm. Then these three, as with one mouth, praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace, sang, Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and worthy to be praised and glorified, and exalted above all, for ever, and blessed is the holy name of thy glory, and worthy to be praised and exalted above all in all ages. Blessed art thou in the holy temple of thy glory, and exceedingly to be praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths and sittest upon the cherubimms, and worthy to be praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven, and worthy of praise and glorious for ever. All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye powers of the Lord, 1. Bless the Lord, Praise and Exult Him above all, forever. 2. O ye sun and moon, Bless the Lord, Praise and Exult Him above all, forever. 3. O ye stars of heaven, Bless the Lord, Praise and Exult him above all, forever. 4. O every shower and dew, Bless ye the Lord, Praise and Exult him above all, forever. Oh, all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. Oh ye fire and heat, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. Oh ye coal and heat, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. Oh ye doos and whore frost, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever. O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever. O ye nights and days, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever. O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever. O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord. 8.Praise and exalt him above all, for ever. 9.Oh, let the earth bless the Lord! Let it praise and exalt him above all, for ever. 10.Oh, all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord! 7.Praise and exalt him above all, for ever. 8.Oh ye fountains, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all, for ever. 9.O ye season rivers, bless the Lord! Praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye bee-sing cattle, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye sons of men, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O let Israel bless the Lord, let them praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all four ever. O Ananias, Azarias, Misael, bless ye the Lord, praise and exalt him above all four ever, for he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us out of the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the burning flame, and saved us out of the midst of the fire. O give thanks to the Lord, because he is good, because his mercy endureth, for ever and ever. O all ye religious, bless the Lord, the God of gods, praise him and give him thanks, because his mercy endureth, for ever and ever. Now, there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joachim. And he took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helcius, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God. For her parents being just had instructed their daughter according to the law of Moses. Now Joachim was very rich, and had an orchard near his house, and the Jews resorted to him because he was the most honorable of them all. And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said, that iniquity came out from Babylon from the ancient judges that seemed to govern the people. These men frequented the house of Joachim, and all that had any matters of judgment came to them. And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband's orchard. And the old men saw her going in every day and walking. And they were inflamed with lust towards her. And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments. So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known their grief one to the other, for they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust being desirous to have to do with her. And they watched carefully every day to see her, and one said to the other, Let us now go home for it is dinner time. So going out they departed one from another, and turning back they came both to the same place. And asking one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust, and then they agreed together upon a time when they might find her alone. And it fell out as they watched a fit day, she went in on a time, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and was desirous to wash herself in the orchard, for it was hot weather. And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves, and were beholding her. So she said to the maids, Bring me oil and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard that I may wash me. And they did as she bade them, and they shut the doors of the orchard, and went out by a back door to fetch what she had commanded them, and they knew not that the elders were hid within. Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose and ran to her, and said, Behold, the doors of the orchard are shut, and nobody seeth us, and we are in love with thee, wherefore consent to us, and lie with us. But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that a young man was with thee, and therefore thou dist send away thy maids from thee. Susanna sighed and said, I am straightened on every side, for if I do this thing it is death to me. And if I do it not, I shall not escape your hands. But it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing it, than to sin in the side of the Lord. With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the elders also cried out against her, and one of them ran to the door of the orchard and opened it. So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door to see what was the matter. But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed, for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on the next day, when the people were come to Joachim, her husband, the two elders also came, full of wicked device against Susanna, to put her to death. And they said before the people, Send to Susanna, daughter of Helcius, the wife of Joachim, and presently they sent. And she came with her parents and children and all her kindred. Now Susanna was exceeding delicate and beautiful to behold, but those wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered, for she was covered, that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty. Therefore her friends and all her acquaintance wept. But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people laid their hands upon her head. And she, weeping, looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord. And the elders said, As we walked in the orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids and shut the doors of the orchard and sent away the maids from her. Then a young man that was there hid, came to her and lay with her. But we that were in a corner of the orchard seeing this wickedness, and up to them, and we saw them lie together. And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than us, and opening the doors he leaped out. But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us of this thing we are witnesses. The multitude believed them, as being the elders and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, O eternal God, who knowest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to pass, thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me, and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously forged against me. And the Lord heard her voice. And when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the Holy Spirit of a young boy whose name was Daniel, and he cried out with a loud voice, I am clear from the blood of this woman. Then all the people turning themselves towards him said, What mean at this word that thou hast spoken? But he standing in the midst of them said, Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel? Turn to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her. So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him, Come and sit thou down among us, and show it us, seeing God hath given thee the honor of old age. And Daniel said to the people, Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them. So when they were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him, O thou that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou hast committed before. In judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith, the innocent and the just, thou shalt not kill. Now then, if thou sawest her, tell me under, what tree thou sawest them conversing together? He said, Under a mastic tree. And Daniel said, Well hast thou lied against thy own head, for behold, the angel of God, having received the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two. And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him, O thou seed of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath preferred thy heart. Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you. But a daughter of Judah would not abide your wickedness. Now therefore tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together? And he answered, Under a home tree. And Daniel said to him, Well hast thou also lied against thy own head, for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you. With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him. And they rose up against the two elders, for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth. And they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbor to fulfill the law of Moses, and they put them to death and innocent blood was saved in that day. But Helcius and his wife praised God for their daughter, Susanna, with Joachim, her husband, and all her kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her. And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day and thence forward. And King Asteages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom. End of Susanna. Bel and the Dragon. And Daniel was the king's guest, and was honored above all his friends. Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and there was spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour and forty sheep and six vessels of wine. The king also worshipped him, and went every day to adore him, but Daniel adored his God. And the king said to him, Why does thou not adore Bel? And he answered and said to him, Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, that created heaven and earth, and hath power over all flesh. And the king said to him, Doth not Bel seem to thee to be a living God? Seeest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day? Then Daniel smiled, and said, O king, be not deceived, for this is but clay within, and brass without, neither hath he eaten at any time. And the king, being angry, called for his priests and said to them, If you tell me not who it is that eateth up these expenses, you shall die. But if you can show that Bel eateth these things, Daniel shall die because he hath blasphemed against Bel. Daniel said to the king, Be it done according to thy word. Now the priests of Bel were seventy, beside their wives and little ones and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. And the priests of Bel said, Behold, we go out, and do thou, O king, set on the meats, and make ready the line, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thy own ring. And when thou comest in the morning, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel that hath lied against us. And they little regarded it because they had made under the table a secret entrance, and they always came in by it and consumed those things. So it came to pass after they were gone out. The king set the meats before Bel, and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them all over the temple before the king, and going forth they shut the door. And having sealed it with the king's ring, they departed. But the priests went in by night according to their custom with their wives and their children, and they eat and drink up all. And the king arose early in the morning, and Daniel with him. And the king said, Are the seals whole, Daniel? And he answered, They are whole, O king. And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried out with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel? And there is not any deceit with thee. And Daniel laughed, and he held the king, that he should not go in, and he said, Behold the pavement! Mark whose footsteps these are! And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children! And the king was angry. Then he took the priests and their wives and their children, and they showed him the private doors by which they came in and consumed the things that were on the table. The king therefore put them to death, and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel, who destroyed him and his temple. And there was a great dragon in that place. And the Babylonians worshiped him. And the king said to Daniel, Behold, thou canst not say now that this is not a living God. Adore him therefore. And Daniel said, I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God, but that is no living God. But give me leave, O king, and I will kill this dragon without sword or club. And the king said, I give thee leave. Then Daniel took pitch and fat and hair, and boiled them together, and he made lumps, and put them in the dragon's mouth. And the dragon burst asunder. And he said, Behold him whom you worship. And when the Babylonians had heard this, they took great indignation and, being gathered together against the king, they said, The king is but comma Jew. He hath destroyed Bel. He hath killed the dragon. And he hath put the priests to death. And they came to the king and said, Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thy house. And the king saw that they pressed upon him violently. In being constrained by necessity, he delivered Daniel to them. And they cast him into the den of lions. And he was there six days. And in the den there were seven lions. And they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep. But then they were not given unto them that they might devour Daniel. Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habakkuk. And he had boiled potage and had broken bread in a bowl. And it was going into the field to carry it to the reapers. And the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, Carry the dinner which thou hast into Babylon, to Daniel who is in the lion's den. And Habakkuk said, Lord, I never saw Babylon. Nor do I know the den. And the angel of the Lord took him by the top of his head. And carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon over the den in the force of his spirit. And Habakkuk cried, saying, oh Daniel, thou servant of God, take the dinner that God hath sent thee. And Daniel said, thou hast remembered me, oh God, and thou hast not forsaken them that love thee. And Daniel arose and ate. And the angel of the Lord presently set Habakkuk again in his own place. And upon the seventh day the king came to bewail Daniel, and he came to the den and looked in. And behold, Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions. And the king cried out with a loud voice saying, great art thou, oh Lord, the God of Daniel. And he drew him out of the lion's den. But those that had been the cause of his destruction, he cast into the den. And they were devoured in a moment before him. Then the king said, let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel, for he is the Savior, working signs and wonders in the earth, who hath delivered Daniel out of the lion's den. End of Bell and the Dragon.