Prayer of Azarias and Hymn of the Three Children

[Niemand]

Also known as the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men. This would be inserted after Daniel 3:23 in some non-Protestant versions of the Bible.


Continuing on my Apocrypha series. I have been covering the shorter works for the simple reason that they are easier to do. The works of Esdras and four books of Maccabees will need more work. With luck, I'll be able to cover the entire Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canon, if not other works. Again, because this is a shorter work, I'll quote it in its entirety on here in the KJV translation, probably in the reply.

https://www.abibleaday.com/bible-books/ ... f-azariah/

Going by different names in various versions, The Prayer of Azariah also goes by Song of the Three Young Men or The Song of the Three Holy Children.

In The Prayer of Azariah, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) are thrown into an inferno after refusing to bow to the king’s statue.

The intent is their execution, but God protects them. Much to the king’s astonishment, they walk around in the furnace, unharmed.

As they do, they sing (or pray). This book records their words. First, we read Azariah’s confident prayer, followed by a bold refrain from all three. Amazed, the king calls them to come out of the furnace, and then he too affirms God.

Wikipedia:

The passage includes three main components. The first is the penitential prayer of Daniel's friend Azariah (called Abednego in Babylonian, according to Daniel 1:6–7) while the three youths were in the fiery furnace. The second component is a brief account of a radiant figure who met them in the furnace yet who was unburned. The third component is the hymn of praise they sang when they realized their deliverance. The hymn includes the refrain, "Praise and exalt Him above all forever...", repeated many times, each naming a feature of the world.

The rest of the story is found in the Bible. Being spared the destruction of fire is reminscent of a) escaping Hell in Christian tradition and b) the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, i.e. the fire which creates and reorganises, rather than destroys. The story also shows God's mercy in saving his people. The Apocryphal work is essentially an extension of a Biblical story rather than a full addition like the Bel and the Dragon narratives.

In many Christian traditions, the "Radiant Figure" is the pre-mortal Christ, and in others is an angel.

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This is part of my series on Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical works:

1 Esdras
viewtopic.php?p=1343974

2 Esdras (the most relevant book in the Apocrypha?)
viewtopic.php?p=1344302

Tobit
viewtopic.php?p=1341501#p1341501

Apocryphal additions to Esther
viewtopic.php?p=1343414

Bel and the Dragon (quoted in full, KJV)
viewtopic.php?t=69261

Book of Susanna
viewtopic.php?t=69386

Prayer of Mannases (aka Mannaseh; quoted in full KJV)
viewtopic.php?t=69263

Psalm 151 (quoted in full, NRSV)
viewtopic.php?t=63875

Epistle to the Laodiceans (NT, quoted in full Wycliffe's translation, )
viewtopic.php?t=64025&p=1208281

[Niemand]

Prayer of Azarias (KJV) audiobook approx. 10 mins.

The text here is reminscent of the Psalms "his mercy endureth forever", and describes people being taken through a potentially horrific situation.

"An unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world" contrasts greatly with the modern day churches who co-operate with evil governments and the LDS which even erects idols of Joseph Smith.

Full KJV text. Note this is not found in the body of Daniel but within the Apocrypha section. Roman Catholic and Orthodox verse numbering would be different as they would include it within Daniel.

1 And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord.

2 Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,

3 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore:

4 For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth.

5 In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.

6 For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.

7 In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us.

8 Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.

9 And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world.

10 And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee.

11 Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant:

12 And cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham's sake, for thy servant Issac's sake, and for thy holy Israel's sake;

13 To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore.

14 For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins.

15 Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.

16 Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted.

17 Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee.

18 And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face.

19 Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.
20 Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be ashamed;

21 And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken;

22 And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.

23 And the king's servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood;

24 So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits.

25 And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace.

26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven;

27 And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

28 Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,

29 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

30 And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

31 Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

32 Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

33 Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

34 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above all to be praised and glorified for ever.

35 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever,

36 O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

37 O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

38 O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

39 O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

40 O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

41 O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

42 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

43 O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever,

44 O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

45 O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

46 O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

47 O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: bless and exalt him above all for ever.

48 O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

49 O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

50 O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

51 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

52 O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

53 O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

54 O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

55 O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all for ever.

56 O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

57 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

58 O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

59 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

60 O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

61 O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

62 O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

63 O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

64 O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

65 O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

66 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: for he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame: even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us.

67 O give thanks unto the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for ever.

68 O all ye that worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth for ever.

[endlessQuestions]

I just wanted to say thank you for this series. I’m tracking it with interest.

[Niemand]

I just wanted to say thank you for this series. I’m tracking it with interest.

Much appreciated. I don't claim to be an expert on it, and I'll forget things... but I always found it curious that we have a lot of our own LDS books but don't look at the Apocrypha even though the D&C itself says there is some value in some of the material (as long as we exercise discernment, because it is not all of equal value.)

Joseph Smith had definitely read the KJV Apocrypha.

Some of it will be mostly summaries. The longer books are going to be harder work.

I'm mostly going through the shorter ones first just because I'm lazy. I've been reading up on the Ethiopian canon, but if I do anything on that it'll be after I do the Roman canon and the Orthodox one. I've not even read some of their books.

[Niemand]

Latest Apocrypha

The Book of Sirach, Ecclesiasticus, the NT, the BOM and the other Jesus
viewtopic.php?t=69412

Book of Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy/Jeremiah
viewtopic.php?p=1346145

1 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69454

2 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?p=1347024

3 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69496

4 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?p=1348046

Wisdom of Solomon
viewtopic.php?t=69469

The Book of Odes - this is an Eastern Orthodox work of limited interest, but included for the sake of completeness. The Prayer of Azarias and Hymn of the Three Young Men forms part of it.
viewtopic.php?t=69470

[Niemand]

Outside the Western and Eastern Orthodox Canon...

The Ethiopian canon. This includes brief info on the books of Sinodos, Ethiopian Clement, Ethiopian Covenant, and Didascalia as well as a list of other works in the canon.
viewtopic.php?t=69540

The Book of Jubilees aka Leptogenesis or Little Genesis
viewtopic.php?p=1348962

3 Corinthians (Armenian canon)
viewtopic.php?t=69567

[Niemand]

Latest Apocrypha
The "official" Apocrypha
Underrated Bible stories #3: Habakkuk's Hair-raising Experience (from Bel & the Dragon in the KJV Apocrypha)
viewtopic.php?t=69509 )

Book of Judith and the Book of Mormon, inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?t=69402

Four Apocryphal Psalms - 152, 153, 154, 155
viewtopic.php?t=69985

Ethiopian Canon...
The Book of Enoch
viewtopic.php?t=69577

1 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon), another lost book?
viewtopic.php?t=69855

2 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon), - the return of Tsirutsaydan
viewtopic.php?t=69971

3 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon) a Question of Satan, another lost work?
viewtopic.php?t=70277

The First and Second Books of Adam and Eve (the Conflict with Satan)
viewtopic.php?t=70846

Lost works and nearly lost works
The LDS Bible Dictionary on Lost Books and non-canonical works referred to in the Bible.
viewtopic.php?t=69805

Antilegomena: the books which barely made it into the Bible - Revelation, Esther, Song of Songs, James etc
viewtopic.php?p=1350652

Is Q canonical? How about the Gospel of Thomas? The answer's more complicated than you think.
viewtopic.php?t=69715

Other New Testament works
The Gospel of Nicodemus or Acts of Pilate, as tested on Mennonites
viewtopic.php?t=69760

The Epistle of Barnabas (NT Apocrypha) - link between OT and NT, or not?
viewtopic.php?t=69679

1 Clement: Papist propaganda or a window into the early church?
viewtopic.php?p=1368842

2 Clement: Inclement Gnosticism?
viewtopic.php?t=70327

The Didache or Teachings of the Apostles
viewtopic.php?t=69698

The Shepherd of Hermas - inspired literature or pagan trash?
viewtopic.php?t=69650

The Three different Apocalypses of Peter: Guides to the universe or sadism? The ancient Apocalypse of Peter, the Arabic Apocalypse of Peter and the Nag Hammadi/Gnostic Text of the same name.
viewtopic.php?t=70682

A post on the Restored Branch, an English LDS microsect and its canon which includes works from the Nag Hammadi and Gnostic texts: these are the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Phillip, the Gospel of Truth (sic), the Letter of the Apostle Paul, the Sophia (Wisdom) of Jesus the Christ, the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles and the Letter of Peter which he sent to Philip.
viewtopic.php?t=70413

Celtic legends about the Bible, including the visits of Biblical figures to western Europe, the Michael Line, Holy Grail, and Pontius Pilate.
viewtopic.php?t=71061

On other interrelated religions:
The Samaritans, their canon and its significance
viewtopic.php?t=69905

My thread about the Koran, and its use of figures from the Bible, the Apocrypha and extracanonical material. How useful a source is the Koran itself? Does it have any real extra information on Biblical figures? This is something of work in progress.
viewtopic.php?t=70169

Was Zoroaster/Zarathustra a lost prophet of God? Some surprising links between this largely forgotten figure and Judaism, plus the Gathas.
viewtopic.php?t=65938

My thread on a bizarre Middle Eastern sect and their beliefs. Are the Yezidis of the Middle East an ancient Satanist group or a lost Jewish tribe? And what is the connection between their religion and today's rainbow flag? Is this strange group simply misunderstood?
viewtopic.php?t=70625

[Niemand]

Latest Apocrypha etc
Will the real Book of Jasher please stand up? At least a dozen works are claimed to be the Book of Jasher, but did it ever exist in the first place?
viewtopic.php?p=1438746

The Book of Gad the Seer, a work referred to in the Old Testament which may have been preserved by a small group of Jews in India. Some of its content is stunning including references to a sacrificed lamb who is sent by God and the future tribulation.
viewtopic.php?t=71421

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: are these lost books of the founders of each Tribe of Israel or a later forgery?
viewtopic.php?t=71314

The Ascension of Isaiah, visions of Christ and Antichrist
viewtopic.php?t=71598

The Book of the Cock – an unfortunately named gospel still in current use in Ethiopia.
viewtopic.php?t=71338

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, an early endorsement of Paul or a forgery?
viewtopic.php?p=1400884

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus - a beautiful short epistle about the relations of Christians and non-Christians, and the Tree of Knowledge
viewtopic.php?p=1404032

End Times Prophecy in Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha: A guide
Includes discussions of 2 Esdras, (1) Enoch, Nicodemus, Ascension of Isaiah, Gad the Seer and the Shepherd of Hermas
viewtopic.php?t=71659

New Age Bibles: Urantia, Oahspe, Kolbrin, Oera Linda, Crowley's Book of the Law, a Course in Miracles etc. These works, usually channelled, provide a very different take on spirituality yet are strangely similar to one another. How should we approach these new works and are they just demonic?
viewtopic.php?p=1433133