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the fire, that burned those outside; and this is fire, and that is fire; and these are bodies, and those are bodies; and it touched some, but refrained from others. Do you see what a great good is the best choice? Did you marvel at their choice? Marvel at the Master's goodwill, and the honor which He showed to them. Those who glorify me I will glorify, he says. The whole theater stood still. They spoke beyond nature, He honors them beyond nature. See the servants having the power of the Master. Why do you marvel if they mock a king, when the elements themselves revere and marvel at them? The furnace has become a Church. It was like heaven itself. Here they now had experience of incorruptibility. Since indeed from the beginning sin has made our bodies passible; when one does righteous things, it becomes impassible again. And they were walking about, it says. But let us see what they are saying; let us hear the mystical voice with much quietness. Did you see the disordered and confused sound of the sambuca, and of the psaltery, and of the music? Listen to a voice from the fire. Did it not seem marvelous to you that a voice of God was borne from fire? Behold, this he granted also to his servants. What air, being struck, produced the sound? Do they not always advise those who are about to be burned to open their mouths, as if not even a little strength can remain in the body afterward? See the musical harmony, as if all were hymning from one mouth. And Azarias stood up and prayed thus; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire he said. Lest you think that they give thanks only for the present things, they beseech God for the captivity, and for those terrible things that had befallen them. See how they begin. Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name for ever. But the angel of the Lord went down with Azarias and his companions into the furnace, and shook the flame of the fire out of the fur 56.212 nace, and made the middle of the furnace like a whistling dew-laden wind; and the fire did not touch them at all, nor grieve them, nor trouble them. Thus these things did not happen automatically. And not only were they not burned, but the fire did not even trouble them, nor grieve them, nor anything of the sort, nor did they feel heat. And for this reason the flame rose up so high, that it was also visible to those outside. And the material thrown in was sufficient to convince them, and its not ceasing, and its being seen burning for a long time, and this happening before everyone. And Nebuchad nezzar heard them hymning, and was amazed, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles. But whence did it occur to Nebuchad nezzar to hear this? Perhaps he was sitting by the whole time. For because of this he did not let him hear immediately, so that time itself might bear witness to what happened, that even after spending a long time, they suffered nothing terrible. Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? And they answered and said to the king, Truly, O king. And the king said, Lo, I see four men unbound, and walking in the midst of the fire; and there is no harm in them; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God. From the door he saw their faces. Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the most high God, come forth, and come here. And Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego came forth from the midst of the fire. But why did they not come forth sooner, until he called them? And he rightly questions the rulers first, so that, being preoccupied with the answer, they might not answer anything to the contrary, nor be carried away by the moment. Just as God said to Moses, What is this in your hand? so also Nebuchadnezzar anticipates them with the question. Behold, he says, I see four men unbound, and walking in the midst of the fire; and there is no harm in them; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God. Perhaps he displayed much beauty. How do you know, O

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τὸ πῦρ, τὸ τοὺς ἔξω κατακαῦσαν· καὶ τοῦτο πῦρ, κἀκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ· καὶ ταῦτα σώματα, κἀκεῖνα τὰ σώματα· καὶ τῶν μὲν ἥψατο, τῶν δὲ ἀπέσχετο. Εἶδες ὅσον ἀγαθὸν προαίρεσις καλλίστη; ἐθαύμασας αὐτῶν τὴν προαί ρεσιν; Θαύμασον τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν εὔνοιαν, καὶ τὴν τιμὴν, ἣν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐπεδείξατο. Τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, φησί. Εἱστήκει τὸ θέατρον ἅπαν. Ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν ἐφθέγξαντο, ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν αὐτοὺς τιμᾷ. Ὅρα τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου δυναμένους τοὺς οἰκέτας. Τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ βασιλέως καταγελῶσιν, ὅταν αὐτοὺς τὰ στοιχεῖα αἰδῆται καὶ θαυμάζῃ; Ἐκκλησία γέ γονεν ἡ κάμινος. αὐτῷ ἐῴκει τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ἐνταῦθα ἤδη τῆς ἀφθαρσίας πεῖραν ἔλαβον. Ἐπεὶ καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν παθητὰ τὰ σώματα ἡμῶν ἡ ἁμαρτία πε ποίηκεν· ὅταν γοῦν τὰ δίκαια πράττῃ, πάλιν ἀπαθῆ γίνεται. Καὶ περιεπάτουν, φησί. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τί φθέγγονται· τῆς μυστικῆς ἀκούσωμεν φωνῆς μεθ' ἡσυ χίας πολλῆς. Εἶδες ἄτακτον φωνὴν καὶ συγκεχυμένην τῆς σαμβύκης, καὶ τοῦ ψαλτηρίου, καὶ τῆς μουσικῆς; Ἄκουσον φωνῆς ἀπὸ πυρός. Οὐ θαυμαστὸν ἐδόκει σοι τὸ φωνὴν ἀπὸ πυρὸς φέρεσθαι Θεοῦ; Ἰδοὺ καὶ τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ τοῦτο ἐχαρίσατο. Ποῖος ἀὴρ πληττόμε νος τὴν φωνὴν ἀπετέλει; Οὐχὶ τοῦτο ἀεὶ τοῖς μέλ λουσι κατακαίεσθαι παραινοῦσι, διανοίγειν τὰ στό ματα, ὡς οὐδὲ μικρὸν δυναμένης τῆς δυνάμεως ἐν απομεῖναι τῷ σώματι λοιπόν; Ὅρα συμφωνίαν μουσι κὴν, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος πάντας ὑμνοῦντας. Καὶ συστὰς Ἀζαρίας προσηύξατο οὕτως· καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πυρὸς εἶπεν. Ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων εὐχαριστοῦσι μό νον, ὑπὲρ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, καὶ τῶν δεινῶν ἐκείνων τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτοῖς παρακαλοῦσι τὸν Θεόν. Ὅρα πῶς ἄρχονται. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πα τέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνετὸν καὶ δεδοξασμένον τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος Κυρίου συγκατέβη τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀζαρίαν εἰς τὴν κάμινον, καὶ ἐξετίναξε τὴν φλόγα τοῦ πυρὸς ἐκ τῆς καμί 56.212 νου, καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ μέσον τῆς καμίνου ὡς πνεῦμα δρόσου διασυρίζον· καὶ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῶν τὸ καθ όλου τὸ πῦρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐλύπησεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ παρηνώχλησεν. Οὕτως οὐκ αὐτομάτως ταῦτα ἐγένετο. Καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐ κατεκαύθησαν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ παρηνώχλησεν αὐτοὺς τὸ πῦρ, οὐδὲ ἐλύπησεν, οὐδὲ τὸ τυχὸν οἷον, οὐδὲ θέρμην ᾔσθοντο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἡ φλὸξ ἀνῆλθεν, ὥστε καὶ τοῖς ἔξωθεν φαίνεσθαι. Καὶ ἡ ἐμβαλλομένη δὲ ὕλη ἱκανὴ ἦ αὐτοὺς πιστώσασθαι, καὶ τὸ μὴ δια λείπειν, καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ πολὺ φαίνεσθαι καιομένην, καὶ πάντων ἔμπροσθεν τοῦτο γενέσθαι. Καὶ Ναβουχοδο νόσορ ἤκουσεν ὑμνούντων αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐθαύμασε, καὶ ἐξανέστη ἐν σπουδῇ, καὶ εἶπε τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ. Αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ἐπῆλθε πόθεν τῷ Ναβουχοδο νόσορ ἀκοῦσαι; Ἄρα πάντα τὸν χρόνον παρεκάθητο. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εὐθέως οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτὸν ἀκοῦσαι, ἵνα καὶ ὁ χρόνος αὐτὸς μαρτυρήσῃ τῷ γενομένῳ, ὅτι καὶ πολὺν διατρίψαντες χρόνον, οὐδὲν ἔπαθον δεινόν. Οὐχὶ ἄνδρας τρεῖς ἐνεβάλομεν εἰς μέσον τοῦ πυρὸς πε πεδημένους; Καὶ ἀποκριθέντες λέγουσι τῷ βασι λεῖ· Ἀληθῶς, βασιλεῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· Ὧδε ἐγὼ ὁρῶ ἄνδρας τέσσαρας λελυμένους, καὶ περιπατοῦντας ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πυρός· καὶ διαφθορὰ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἡ ὅρασις τοῦ τετάρτου ὁμοία υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας εἶδεν τὰς ὄψεις. Τότε προσῆλθε Ναβουχοδονόσορ πρὸς τὴν θύραν τῆς καμίνου τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης, καὶ εἶπεν· Σεδρὰχ, Μισὰχ, Ἀβδεναγὼ, οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ἐξέλθετε, καὶ δεῦτε ὧδε. Καὶ ἐξῆλ θον Σεδρὰχ, Μισὰχ, Ἀβδεναγὼ ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυ ρός. ∆ιὰ τί δ' οὐ πρότερον ἐξῆλθον ἕως ἐκάλεσεν αὐ τούς; Καὶ καλῶς πρότερον ἐρωτᾷ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ἵνα τῇ ἀποκρίσει προκατασχεθέντες μηδὲν ἐναντίον ἀπο κρίνωνται, μηδὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ συναρπαγῶσιν. Ὥσ περ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ ἔλεγεν ὁ Θεός· Τί τοῦτο ἐν τῇ χειρί σου; οὕτω καὶ τούτους Ναβουχοδονόσορ προκατα λαμβάνει τῇ ἐρωτήσει. Ἰδοὺ, φησὶν, ὁρῶ ἄνδρας τέσσαρας λελυμένους, καὶ περιπατοῦντας ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πυρός· καὶ διαφθορὰ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἡ ὅρασις τοῦ τετάρτου ὁμοία υἱῷ Θεοῦ. Πολὺ κάλλος ἴσως ἐνέφαινε. Πόθεν οἶδας, ὦ