12-07-2010, 10:15 PM
I've done a preliminary translation of this text, since I was unable to find others, and would appreciate having it proofread and verified. I gave the utmost effort to be faithful to the Aramaic word order. I've starred verses 40 and 46 because I was even more unsure of the interpretation of these. Italicized phrases do not appear in the Aramaic text. This translation was assisted by a translation of the Vulgate text which can be seen here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.drbo.org/chapter/32003.htm">http://www.drbo.org/chapter/32003.htm</a><!-- m -->.
- 3:24 And they rose and walked in their bindings in the midst of the flame of the fire. And they praised God and blessed the Lord.
- 3:25 <The prayer of Azarya [Some mss add "and of his friends"; variants reading "The prayer of Chananya" are dropped due to the context following]> And Azarya arose and opened his mouth to bless in the midst of the fire. And he opened his mouth and prayed and said thus:
- 3:26 "Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and exalted and praised be your name forever.
- 3:27 For you are righteous in all that you have done for us. And all of your works are in truth. And straight are your ways. And all of your judgments are faithful.
- 3:28 For in judgment you have faithfully executed upon us in all of which you brought against us and against the holy capital of our fathers, upon Jerusalem. For in justice you brought against us all of these things on account of our iniquity [Some mss add "and our sins"],
- 3:29 that we have sinned and have committed evil before you. And we have departed from you and have transgressed against your word, and we have sinned against you in all things.
- 3:30 And unto your commandments have we not hearkened. And we have neither kept nor done as the words [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Mdm[/font]] which you have commanded us that it would be well with us.
- 3:31 And all things that you brought against us and all that you have done unto us, in judgment that is established have you done unto us.
- 3:32 And we were delivered into the hand our perverse enemies who are far from you and unto the dominion of a wicked kingdom that is most evil from all kingdoms of the earth.
- 3:33 And now, O Lord, it is not unto us to open a mouth before you due to the disgrace and the shame that be to your servants and to your fearers.
- 3:34 Deliver us not forever [Lit. until the end] for your name's sake; and forget [Lit. abolish] not your covenant.
- 3:35 And remove not your mercy and your kindness from us for the sake of Abraham your beloved, and for the sake of Isaac your servant, and for the sake of Israel your holy one,
- 3:36 that you promised to them that you would multiply their seed as the stars that are in heaven and as the sands that are upon the shore [Lit. lip] of the sea.
- 3:37 For now, O Lord, we are the lowest from amongst all peoples. And we are dispersed today in all of the earth due to our iniquities and our sins.
- 3:38 And of these there are none at this time: neither head, nor leader, nor prophet, nor shepherd, nor altar, nor sacrifice, nor offering, nor altar [Lit. place] to burn incense [Lit. to make to ascend sweet smells] or offer sacrifices, and to find favor and mercy.
- 3:39 But in a crushed heart and in a humble spirit, behold, we have been brought [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Nbrqt0[/font] ] to the fiery inferno.
- 3:40* When we beseech you of more than [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Nm rytyd Nny9b[/font]] oxen and rams and many fat lambs, so be the sacrifice of our souls today. And they shall not be ashamed of your servants since those who rely upon you are not ashamed.
- 3:41 Even now we pursue after you wholeheartedly, and we fear you, and your face do we seek.
- 3:42 O Lord, let us not be ashamed but act with us as the abundance of your goodness and your many mercies.
- 3:43 And redeem us as abundance of your miracles. And give splendor to your name, O Lord, for your name is great.
- 3:44 And ashamed shall they be, all who speak evil to your servants, and ashamed shall they be in their might [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Jwhtwrbyg[/font]], and their strength [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Jwhlyx[/font]] shall flee [Some mss add "from them"].
- 3:45 And they shall know that you are one God, you alone, and you are to praised in all of your works."
- 3:46* And they would not ceased, those that burned them oven of fire. And they cast into it oil [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]0=pn[/font]] and pitch [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Fbz[/font], see [font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Fpz[/font]] and sulphur and reeds and branches.
- 3:47 And it yielded an explosion [Lit. voice] of flame [Some mss add "of the fire"]. And it ascended up from the oven of fire fourty and nine cubits.
- 3:48 And the fire set ablaze and made perish [Wordplay: muqda w'muvda [font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]0dbwmw 0dqwm[/font]] all who were present by the chambers [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Yhwrdx[/font]] of the oven from the Chaldeans and the accusers [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]0crq Ylk0[/font] ].
- 3:49 But the angel of the Lord [Some mss: "of dew" instead of "of the Lord"] descended with Chananya and Azarya and Mishael within the oven of fire and expelled the flame of the fire from the oven.
- 3:50 And he made in the midst of the oven like the wind of dew. And the fire did not touch them even lightly, nor did it grieve them, nor did it harass them.
- 3:51 Then these three [Some mss add "as", also Vulgate] from one mouth praised and blessed God from the belly of the oven of fire and said [Some mss add "this praise"]:
- 3:52 "Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers. Praised are you and exalted are you forever.
Blessed be the holy name of your splendor. Praised are you and exalted are you forever.
- 3:53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holiness. Praised are you and exalted are you forever.
- 3:54 Blessed are you that you see the depths and you sit upon the cherubim. Praised are you and exalted are you forever. [Permuted with next verse in some versions]
- 3:55 Blessed are you upon the throne of your kingdom. Praised are you and exalted are you forever.
- 3:56 Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven. Praised are you and exalted are you forever.
- 3:57 All works of the Lord kneel [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Krb[/font] rendered as kneel rather than bless henceforth] to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:58 All angels of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal. [Permuted with next verse in some versions]
- 3:59 Heaven of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:60 Waters that are above heaven kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
All fearers of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:61 All warriors [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Yhwlyx[/font]] of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:62 Sun and moon kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:63 [Some mss add "All"] Stars of heaven kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:64 Rain and dew kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:65 Waters and winds kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:66 Fire and heat kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
All souls of the righteous kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:67 [CAL text's enumeration skips over 67 directly to 69.]
- 3:68
- 3:69 Cold and heat kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
Summer and winter kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal. [Vulgate reads according to the first line and Septuagint according to the second; Peshitta contains both]
- 3:70 Snow and frost kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal. [Vulgate and Septuagint add another verse reading "Ice and cold kneel etc."]
- 3:71 Night and day kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:72 Light and darkness kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:73 Lightnings and clouds kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:74 [Some mss add "All the"] Land [Some mss add "of the Lord"] kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:75 Mountains and hills kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:76 All coverings [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]0nypw9[/font], perhaps from ?wv (H5774)?] of the earth kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
All that sprout forth upon the earth kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:77 Fountains and all springs kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:78 Seas and rivers kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:79 Fish and all that creeps in the waters kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:80 All birds of heaven kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:81 All animals [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Fwyx[/font]] and beasts kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
All that creeps upon the earth kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:82 All sons of men kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:83 All of the house of Israel kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:84 All priests of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:85 All servants of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:86 All souls and spirits of the righteous kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:87 Upright and humble of heart kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal. [Some mss add "All witnesses of the Lord kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal."]
- 3:88 Chananya and Azarya and Mishael kneel to the Lord. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
For he has saved us from death and from the hands of Sheol alive.
And he has rescued us from the flame of the fire.
And from the midst of the fire has he expelled us.
- 3:89 Give thanks [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]wdw0[/font] ] to the Lord that sweet [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]Mysb[/font]] is he and forever is his goodness. His praise and his exaltation are eternal.
- 3:90 All fearers of God kneel to the God of gods.
Give thanks [[font="Estrangelo (V1.1)"]wdw0[/font] ] to the Lord that good is he and forever is his goodness [Some mss: "his praise" instead of "his goodness"]."