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The Prayer of Azariah
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1 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah  a 1 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Their Hebrew names; they were also known by the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (see Daniel 1.6,7). walked around in the flames, singing praises to the Lord God. 
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The
Song of the Three Holy Children
Which followeth in the third Chapter of Daniel, after this place, - fell
down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace - verse 23. That
which followeth is not in the Hebrew, to wit, And they walked - unto these
words, Then Nebuchadnezzar - verse 24.
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1 And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord.
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2 Then Azariah stood still and prayed out loud:
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2 Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,
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3 You, Lord God of our ancestors,
are worthy to be praised,
and your name
should be honored forever.
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3 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore:
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4 Everything you do is right;
your decisions bring justice.
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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.
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5 You were right to punish us
and to destroy holy Jerusalem,
the city of our ancestors.
Our people have sinned;
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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.
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6 we have broken all your laws
and turned away from you.
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6 For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.
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7 We have disobeyed,
even though your commands
were for our own good.
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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.
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8 You were right to punish us
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8 Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.
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9 and to let us be conquered
by our hateful enemies.
They refuse to obey your Law,
and the most evil king on earth
is their ruler.
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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.
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10 They insult us, your servants.
We are a disgrace
and have no excuse.
But we worship and obey you.
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10 And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee.
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11 Please, Lord, for the sake
of your reputation,
keep your agreement with us,
and someday set us free.
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11 Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant:
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12 You loved Abraham;
Isaac obeyed you,
and you chose Jacob. b 12 Jacob: The Greek text has “Israel,” another name for Jacob, the third great ancestor of the nation of Israel.
For their sakes, don't take
your mercy from us.
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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;
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13 You promised to give them
more descendants
than there are stars in the sky
or grains of sand on a beach.
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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.
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14 But we sinned,
and so we have become
the smallest nation.
We are ashamed
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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.
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15 because we have no rulers,
no prophets, no leaders.
We have no incense, no altar,
and no sacrifices to please you
or to ask for your mercy.
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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.
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16 But if we are humble
and truly sorry for our sins,
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16 Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted.
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17 you will accept us
as if we had offered
a thousand rams and bulls
and ten thousand fat lambs.
You never disappoint those
who trust you, Lord.
We want to be your followers, c 17 We want to be your followers: One possible meaning for the difficult Greek text.
so please answer our prayer.
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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.
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18 We promise with all our hearts
to worship and obey you
and to continue praying.
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18 And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face.
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19 So please be patient with us
and show us your mercy.
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19 Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.
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20 Work a miracle and rescue us,
so that you, Lord,
will be honored.
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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;
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21 We, your servants, pray
that those who have harmed us
will be disgraced;
crush their mighty power
so they will fail.
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21 And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken;
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22 Show them that you alone
are the glorious Lord God,
the Ruler of all the earth.
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22 And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.
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An Angel Comes into the Fire
23 After the king's servants threw Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah into the furnace, the servants kept tossing in oil, tar, dried flax plants, and small pieces of firewood.
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23 And the king's servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood;
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24 The flames blazed up seventy-five feet above the furnace,
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24 So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits.
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25 and they also shot out from the furnace and burned the Babylonians who were standing nearby.
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25 And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace.
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26 But one of the Lord's angels came down into the furnace to protect Azariah and his two friends. The angel forced the flames out of the furnace,
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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;
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27 so that the inside of the furnace felt as if a cool breeze were blowing. The fire didn't touch the three men at all, and it caused them no pain or trouble.
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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.
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The Song of the Three Hebrews
28 Then Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah praised God together in the furnace, and they sang:
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28 Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,
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29 You, Lord God of our ancestors,
are always worthy
to be praised.
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29 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
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30 Your glorious and holy name
will always deserve
the greatest honor.
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30 And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
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31 So let songs of praise
be sung in your holy temple
for all time.
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31 Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.
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32 There, from your throne
above the winged creatures,
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32 Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
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33 you watch everything on earth
and rule the world
with glory and majesty.
We pray that your praises
will be sung forever.
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33 Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.
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34 And age after age
in the starry skies,
songs will be sung
to honor you.
Sing Praises to the Lord
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah continued to sing:
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34 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above ail to be praised and glorified for ever.
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35 All of creation
should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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35 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise and exalt him above all for ever,
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36 Everything in the heavens
and the water above the sky d 36-39 water above the sky: See Genesis 1.6-8.
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36 O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord : praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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37 should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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37 O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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38 The angels and the rulers
in the heavens
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38 O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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39 should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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39 O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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40 The sun, the moon,
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40 O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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41 and the stars
should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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41 O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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42 The wind and the rain
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42 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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43 and the dew,
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43 O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever,
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44 as well as the freezing snow,
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44 O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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45 and the fiery heat
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45 O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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46 should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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46 0 ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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47 The dark of night
and the light of day
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47 O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: bless and exalt him above all for ever.
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48 should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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48 O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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49 The frost and snow,
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49 O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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50 the icy cold,
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50 O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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51 and the thunderstorms
should sing praises
to the Lord forever. e 42-51 forever: Some Greek manuscripts and ancient translations put these verses in different orders.
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51 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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52 Everything on this earth
should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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52 O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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53 The mountains and hills
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53 O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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54 and all trees and plants
should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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54 O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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55 The springs and rivers,
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55 O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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56 together with the oceans
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56 O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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57 and every sea creature,
whether large or small,
should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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57 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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58 Each bird in the sky,
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58 O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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59 and every animal,
wild or tame,
should sing praises
to the Lord forever.
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59 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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60 Every human should sing praises
to the Lord forever,
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60 O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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61 especially his priests
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61 O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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62 and his chosen people.
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62 O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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63 We humans should be humble
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63 O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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64 and obey the Lord
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64 O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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65 with all our heart and soul,
and we should sing praises
to him forever.
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65 O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
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66 The three of us—
Hananiah, Azariah,
and Mishael—
should sing praises
to the Lord forever,
because if he hadn't rescued us,
we would have died
in a flaming furnace
and gone down
to the world of the dead.
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66 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: far 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.
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67 So praise the Lord
for his goodness,
and praise him for his mercy,
because it will never end.
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67 O give thanks unto the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for ever.
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68 Everyone who worships the Lord,
the Supreme God,
should sing his praises
and thank him for his mercy,
because it will never end.
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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.
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© 1999 American Bible Society |
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