< Daniel 3 >

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and whose breadth was six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the deputy governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, the judges, the counsellors, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3 Then the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Then the satraps, prefects, and deputy governors, the chief judges, treasurers, judges, counsellors, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
4 Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages,
Then a herald cried aloud: To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
that at the time ye hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up.
6 Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace the same hour.”
And whoso doth not fall down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Therefore at the time when all the people heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshipped the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and brought accusation against the Jews.
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldaeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9 They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever!
They spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever!
10 You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image;
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;
11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.
and that whoso doth not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not respected you. They do not serve your gods, and do not worship the golden image which you have set up.”
Now there are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, these men, O king, have not regarded thee; they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden image which I have set up?
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said to them, Was it by design, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do ye not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you do not worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
Now if ye be ready that at the time ye hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have set up, well! but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
Behold, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king!
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
And he commanded the mightiest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.
Then these men were bound in their trousers, their under-garments, their mantles, and their other clothing, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
And because the command of the king was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, “Did not we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said to his counsellors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king!
25 He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
He answered and said, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. He spoke and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth out of the midst of the fire.
27 The local governors, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies. The hair of their head was not singed. Their pants were not changed. The smell of fire was not even on them.
And the satraps, prefects, and deputy governors, and the counsellors of the king, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants, that trusted in him, and disobeyed the command of the king, and gave up their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
29 Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.”
Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language which speaks anything reproachful against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and its houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other God that can deliver in this manner.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

< Daniel 3 >