"We Three Boys"

We three boys of captivity
Loving God, we chose not to eat
Pepp’ry spices, sacrifices
Refused the idol meat

 O God our savior, God of might
 Lord with royal beauty bright!
 Ever speaking, still repeating
 Thy Word to our ears’ delight!

Soon the king announced he was proud:
Work of gold, demanded we bow
Fiery furnace, he would burn us
Still we did not go down

 O God our savior, God of might
 Lord with royal beauty bright!
 Ever speaking, still repeating
 Thy Word to our ears’ delight!

King afraid, he begged us recant
Fearing God, we declared, “We can’t”
Angry sire: “Stoke the fire!
Live longer? No they shan’t!”

 O God our savior, God of might
 Lord with royal beauty bright!
 Ever speaking, still repeating
 Thy Word to our ears’ delight!

Bold the king, he sat back and beamed
Three went in but four men were seen
“They’re deserving, yet not burning!”
Pondering what this means:

 “O God their savior, God of might
 Hebrews’ God is surely right
 Ever speaking, still they’re preaching
 His Word is believers’ life!”

These three youths of legend and more
Legacy we shall not ignore
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
Proclaiming Christ is Lord!

 O God our savior, God of might
 Lord with royal beauty bright!
 Ever speaking, still repeating
 Thy Word to our ears’ delight!

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adapted from "We Three Kings"
John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (1857)