< Daniel 3 >
1 In [his] eighteenth year Nabuchodonosor the king made a golden image, its height was sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits: and he set it up in the plain of Deira, in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar the king has made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits; he has raised it up in the Valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon;
2 And he sent forth to gather the governors, and the captains, and the heads of provinces, chiefs, and princes, and those who were in authority, and all the rulers of districts, to come to the dedication of the image.
and Nebuchadnezzar the king has sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up.
3 So the heads of provinces, the governors, the captains, the chiefs, the great princes, those who were in authority, and all the rulers of districts, were gathered to the dedication of the image which king Nabuchodonosor had set up; and they stood before the image.
Then are gathered the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the province, to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up: and they are standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar has raised up.
4 Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, ye peoples, tribes, [and] languages,
And a crier is calling mightily: “They are saying to you: O peoples, nations, and languages!
5 at what hour ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and every kind of music, ye shall fall down and worship the golden image which king Nabuchodonosor has set up.
At the time that you hear the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, the symphony, and all kinds of music, you fall down and pay respect to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up:
6 And whosoever shall not fall down and worship, in the same hour he shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
and whoever does not fall down and pay respect, in that hour he is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
7 And it came to pass when the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the nations, tribes, [and] languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
Therefore at that time, when all the peoples are hearing the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, and all kinds of music, falling down are all the peoples, nations and languages, worshiping the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up.
8 Then came near [certain] Chaldeans, and accused the Jews to the king, [saying],
Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans have drawn near, and accused the Jews;
they have answered, indeed, they are saying to Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for all ages!
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man who shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of music,
You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, falls down and pays respect to the golden image;
11 and shall not fall down and worship the golden image, shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
and whoever does not fall down and pay respect, is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are [certain] Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, who have not obeyed thy decree, O king: they serve not thy gods, and worship not the golden image which thou hast set up.
There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the work of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, these men have not made of you, O king, [any] regard; your gods they are not serving, and to the golden image you have raised up—are not making worship.”
13 Then Nabuchodonosor in wrath and anger commanded to bring Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and they were brought before the king.
Then Nebuchadnezzar, in anger and fury, has said to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then these men have been brought in before the king.
14 And Nabuchodonosor answered and said to them, Is it true, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, that ye serve not my gods, and worship not the golden image which I have set up?
Nebuchadnezzar has answered and said to them, “Is [it] a laid plan, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—my gods you are not serving, and to the golden image that I have raised up you are not worshiping?
15 Now then if ye be ready, whensoever ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and harmony, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the golden image which I have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, in the same hour ye shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?
Now behold, you are ready, so that at the time that you hear the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, you fall down and pay respect to the image that I have made! But if you do not worship—in that hour you are cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; who is that God who delivers you out of my hands?”
16 Then answered Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, and said to king Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer thee concerning this matter.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego have answered, indeed, they are saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need concerning this matter to answer you.
17 For our God whom we serve is in the heavens, able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will rescue us from thy hands, O king.
Behold, it is; our God whom we are serving, is able to deliver us from a burning fiery furnace; and from your hand, O king, He delivers.
18 But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we [will] not serve thy gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up.
And behold—not! Be it known to you, O king, that we are not serving your gods, and we do not worship the golden image you have raised up.”
19 Then Nabuchodonosor was filled with wrath, and the form of his countenance was changed toward Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and he gave orders to heat the furnace seven times [more than usual], until it should burn to the uttermost.
Then Nebuchadnezzar has been full of fury, and the expression of his face has been changed concerning Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; he answered and said to heat the furnace seven times above that which it is seen to be heated;
20 And he commanded mighty men to bind Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
and to certain mighty men who [are] in his force he has said to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to cast into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then those men were bound with their coats, and caps, and hose, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace,
Then these men have been bound in their coats, their tunics, and their turbans, and their clothing, and have been cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 forasmuch as the king’s word prevailed; and the furnace was made exceeding hot.
Therefore, because that the word of the king is urgent, and the furnace heated exceedingly, those men who have taken up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—the spark of the fire has killed them.
23 Then these three men, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell bound into the midst of the burning furnace, and walked in the midst of the flame, singing praise to God, and blessing the Lord.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, have fallen down in the midst of the burning fiery furnace—bound.
24 And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing praises; and he wondered, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? and they said to the king, Yes, O king.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king has been astonished, and has risen in haste; he has answered and said to his counselors, “Have we not cast three men into the midst of the fire—bound?” They have answered and are saying to the king, “Certainly, O king.”
25 And the king said, But I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there has no harm happened to them; and the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God.
He answered and has said, “Behold, I am seeing four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth [is] like to a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nabuchodonosor drew near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, proceed forth, and come hither. So Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, came forth out of the midst of the fire.
Then Nebuchadnezzar has drawn near to the gate of the burning fiery furnace; he has answered and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of God Most High come forth, indeed, come”; then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego come forth, from the midst of the fire;
27 Then were assembled the satraps, and captains, and heads of provinces, and the royal princes; and they saw the men, [and perceived] that the fire had not had power against their bodies, and the hair of their head was not burnt, and their coats were not scorched, nor was the smell of fire upon them.
and gathered together, the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the counselors of the king, are seeing these men, that the fire has no power over their bodies, and the hair of their head has not been singed, and their coats have not changed, and the smell of fire has not passed on them.
28 And king Nabuchodonosor answered and said, Blessed be the God of Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants, because they trusted in him; and they have changed the king’s word, and delivered their bodies to be burnt, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Nebuchadnezzar has answered and has said, “Blessed [is] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who has sent His messenger, and has delivered His servants who trusted on Him.” And the word of the king changed, and gave up their bodies that they might not serve nor pay respect to any god except to their own God.
29 Wherefore I publish a decree: Every people, tribe, [or] language, that shall speak reproachfully against the God of Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses shall be plundered: because there is no other God who shall be able to deliver thus.
“And by me a decree is made, that any people, nation, and language, that speaks erroneously concerning the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, he is made pieces, and its house is made a dunghill, because that there is no other god who is able thus to deliver.”
30 Then the king promoted Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, in the province of Babylon, and advanced them, and gave them authority to rule over all the Jews who were in his kingdom.
Then the king has caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to prosper in the province of Babylon.