The Canticle of Daniel, also called the Benedicite or the Song of the Three Young Men, is the hymn sung by Ananias, Azarias and Misael in the fiery furnace: “All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.” It calls on every creature, from angels and stars to whales, birds and cattle, to praise the Creator. The Church sings it at Morning Prayer on Sundays and feasts. Below is the full Catholic text, its story, its meaning, and how to pray it.
The Canticle of Daniel
From the Book of Daniel, chapter 3, in the Douay-Rheims Bible:
All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye dews and hoar frosts, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye nights and days, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye fountains, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye sons of men, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord: let them praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. For he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us out of the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the burning flame, and saved us out of the midst of the fire.
The canticle in the Liturgy of the Hours ends with the verse before it:
Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and worthy of praise, and glorious for ever.
The story of the three young men
King Nabuchodonosor of Babylon set up a golden statue and ordered all to worship it. Three young Jews, Sidrach, Misach and Abdenago (in Hebrew Ananias, Misael and Azarias), refused and were thrown into a blazing furnace. An angel of the Lord came down and made the midst of the furnace “like the blowing of a wind bringing dew,” and the three walked in the flames unharmed, singing God’s praise (Daniel 3). This song, with the prayer of Azarias before it, is part of the longer Greek text of Daniel, which the Catholic Church receives as Scripture; it is not found in Protestant Bibles.
What the canticle means
- All creation praises God: heavens, waters, sun, moon, stars, rain, dew, winds, fire, cold, ice, snow, nights and days, light and darkness, lightning and clouds.
- The earth and its creatures: mountains, plants, seas, rivers, whales, birds, beasts and cattle.
- Humanity: “O ye sons of men,” Israel, priests, servants of the Lord, the spirits and souls of the just, the holy and humble of heart.
- Praise in the furnace: the three young men praised God in the middle of the fire. Christians praise God in every trial.
- Deliverance: “he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us out of the hand of death,” a figure of the Resurrection.
Where the Church sings it
- At Morning Prayer (Lauds) on Sundays of Week I and III and on feasts and solemnities, between two psalms. See Lauds.
- As a thanksgiving after Mass: in the traditional Missal, the priest prayed the Canticle of the Three Young Men and Psalm 150 after celebrating Mass.
- For care of creation, like Psalm 148 and the Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis.
A prayer with the canticle
Written for this page:
Lord God, all your works bless you: the heavens and the seas, the sun and the stars,
the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
With the three young men in the furnace, I praise you in every trial,
and with all your saints I exalt you above all for ever. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Benedicite?
The Canticle of Daniel (Daniel 3:57–88, 56), named from its first word in Latin, Benedicite, “Bless.”
Is the Canticle of Daniel in the Protestant Bible?
No. It belongs to the Greek additions to the Book of Daniel, which Catholics and Orthodox accept as Scripture.
When is the Canticle of Daniel prayed?
At Morning Prayer on Sundays of Weeks I and III and on feasts and solemnities in the Liturgy of the Hours.
More canticles and hymns of praise
- Psalm 148 (All creation praises God)
- Psalm 150
- Benedictus (Canticle of Zechariah)
- Te Deum
- Psalms of praise
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Daniel 3:56–88, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.