Daniel 3
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide: he put it up in the valley of Dura, in the land of Babylon.
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits, and the breadth of which was six cubits: he set it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to get together all the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, to come to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.
And king Nebuchadnezzar sent to assemble [his] lieutenants, the superintendents, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, those learned in the law, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3 Then the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, came together to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up; and they took their places before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had put up.
Thereupon were assembled the lieutenants, the superintendents, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, those learned in the law, and all the rulers of the provinces unto the dedication of the image that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood opposite to the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then one of the king's criers said in a loud voice, To you the order is given, O peoples, nations, and languages,
Then a herald called out with a loud voice, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 That when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, comes to your ears, you are to go down on your faces in worship before the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king has put up:
That at the time when ye do hear the sound of the cornet, flute, guitar, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye shall fall down and bow yourselves to the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar hath set up:
6 And anyone not falling down and worshipping will that same hour be put into a burning and flaming fire.
And whoso doth not fall down and bow himself shall in the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7 So at that time, all the people, when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, and all sorts of instruments, came to their ears, went down on their faces in worship before the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.
Therefore at the same time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, guitar, harp, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down bowing themselves to the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At that time certain Chaldaeans came near and made a statement against the Jews.
Therefore at the same time certain Chaldean men came near, and accused the Jews treacherously.
9 They made answer and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O King, have life for ever.
They commenced and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 You, O King, have given an order that every man, when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, comes to his ears, is to go down on his face in worship before the image of gold:
Thou, O king, hadst made a decree, that every man that should hear the sound of the cornet, flute, guitar, harp, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, should fall down and bow himself to the golden image;
11 And anyone not falling down and worshipping is to be put into a burning and flaming fire.
And that whoso should not fall down and bow himself should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom you have put over the business of the land of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men have not given attention to you, O King: they are not servants of your gods or worshippers of the gold image which you have put up.
There are certain Jewish men whom thou hast appointed over the public service of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego: these men, O king, have not paid any regard to thee; thy god they do not worship, and to the golden image which thou hast set up they do not bow themselves.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his wrath and passion gave orders for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to be sent for. Then they made these men come in before the king.
Then ordered Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego. Then were these men brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you will not be servants of my god or give worship to the image of gold which I have put up?
Nebuchadnezzar commenced and said unto them, Is it out of disrespect, O Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego? My god ye do not worship, and to the golden image which I have set up ye do not bow yourselves?
15 Now if you are ready, on hearing the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, to go down on your faces in worship before the image which I have made, it is well: but if you will not give worship, that same hour you will be put into a burning and flaming fire; and what god is there who will be able to take you out of my hands?
Now then if ye be ready at the time when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, guitar, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, to fall down and bow yourselves to the image which I have made, [well]; but if ye bow yourselves not, ye shall be cast in the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace: and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hand?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answering Nebuchadnezzar the king, said, There is no need for us to give you an answer to this question.
Then answered Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee a word in this matter.
17 If our God, whose servants we are, is able to keep us safe from the burning and flaming fire, and from your hands, O King, he will keep us safe.
Behold, there is our God whom we worship, he is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace: and out of thy hand, O king, will he deliver us.
18 But if not, be certain, O King, that we will not be the servants of your gods, or give worship to the image of gold which you have put up.
But if not, then be it known unto thee, O king, that thy god will we not worship, and to the golden image which; thou hast set up will we not bow ourselves.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of wrath, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: and he gave orders that the fire was to be heated up seven times more than it was generally heated.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar filled with fury, and the form of his countenance was changed because of Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego; [and] he commenced and ordered that they should heat the furnace thoroughly seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he gave orders to certain strong men in his army to put cords on Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and put them into the burning and flaming fire.
And he ordered the mightiest men in strength that were in his army, to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, [and] to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men had cords put round them as they were, in their coats, their trousers, their hats, and their clothing, and were dropped into the burning and flaming fire.
Then were these men bound in their mantles, their under-garments, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 And because the king's order was not to be put on one side, and the heat of the fire was so great, the men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were burned to death by the flame of the fire.
Now, because the king's command was so urgent, and the furnace exceedingly heated, the flame of the fire slew those men that carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, with the cords about them, went down into the burning and flaming fire.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar, full of fear and wonder, got up quickly, and said to his wise men, Did we not put three men in cords into the fire? and they made answer and said to the king, True, O King.
Then was king Nebuchadnezzar astonished, and he rose up in haste, [and] commenced, and said unto his counsellors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, Certainly, O king.
25 He made answer and said, Look! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not damaged; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no injury on them; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the door of the burning and flaming fire: he made answer and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the fire.
Then came Nebuchadnezzar near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, commenced, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, step forth, and come hither. Then stepped Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego forth out of the midst of the fire.
27 And the captains, the chiefs, and the rulers, and the king's wise men who had come together, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had no power, and not a hair of their heads was burned, and their coats were not changed, and there was no smell of fire about them.
And the lieutenants, superintendents, and governors, and the king's counsellors, being assembled together, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had had no power, and the hair of whose head was not singed, whose mantles were not changed, and on whom there was not come the smell of fire.
28 Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel and kept his servants safe who had faith in him, and who put the king's word on one side and gave up their bodies to the fire, so that they might not be servants or worshippers of any other god but their God.
Then commenced Nebuchadnezzar, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that had trusted in him, and had transgressed the king's word, and yielded up their bodies, that they might not worship no bow themselves to any god, except their own God.
29 And it is my decision that any people, nation, or language saying evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, will be cut to bits and their houses made waste: because there is no other god who is able to give salvation such as this.
Therefore do I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, that may speak any thing disrespectful against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be changed into a dunghill; because there is no other God that can deliver like this one.
30 Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego even greater authority in the land of Babylon.
Then did the king promote Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
