The Song of the Three Young Men

I was reading the Morning Prayer liturgy on dailyoffice.org, and one of the canticles was from “the Song of the Three Young Men,” a passage found in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Book of Daniel. The first section (after the Invocation) of this deuterocanonical passage is called “The Cosmic Order” in the 1979 BCP. I find it fascinating, as it describes all of creation praising God. In our modern culture, we don’t often think of inanimate parts of the landscape praising the Lord, but I find this rhetorical device really intriguing.

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.

(If you have a Bible with the deuterocanonical books in it, such as the NRSV, you can usually find this passage in the book entitled “The Prayer of Azariah” or sometimes “Greek Additions to Daniel.”)