Daniel 3
1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue made that was sixty cubits tall and six cubits wide. He had it set up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
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.
2 Then he summoned the provincial governors, prefects, local governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up.
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.
3 They all came to the dedication of the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up and stood in front of it.
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.
4 Then a herald announced in a loud voice, “People of all nations and languages, pay attention to the king's command!
Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, ye peoples, tribes, [and] languages,
5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of musical instruments, you must fall to the ground and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
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.
6 Anyone who doesn't immediately fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.”
And whosoever shall not fall down and worship, in the same hour he shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
7 So when all the people heard the sound of the musical instruments they all fell down—the people of all nations and languages worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
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.
8 Right then some of the astrologers came forward and made accusations against the Jews.
Then came near [certain] Chaldeans, and accused the Jews to the king, [saying],
9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May Your Majesty the king live forever!
O king, live for ever.
10 Your Majesty has decreed that everyone who hears the sound of the musical instruments shall fall down and worship the gold statue,
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,
11 and that anyone who does not shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.
and shall not fall down and worship the golden image, shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
12 But there are some Jews that you placed in charge of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who pay no attention to Your Majesty's decree. They do not serve your gods and will not worship the gold statue you set up.”
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.
13 This made Nebuchadnezzar absolutely furious. “Bring me Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!” he demanded. So they were brought before the king.
Then Nabuchodonosor in wrath and anger commanded to bring Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and they were brought before the king.
14 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are you deliberately refusing to serve my gods and worship the gold statue I set up?” asked the king.
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?
15 “Are you ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments? If you don't, you will be immediately thrown into the furnace of blazing fire, and there's no god who can save you from my power!”
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?
16 “King Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to defend ourselves before you over this,” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied.
Then answered Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, and said to king Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer thee concerning this matter.
17 “If our God whom we serve so wishes, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. He will save us from your power, Your Majesty.
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.
18 But even if he does not, Your Majesty needs to know that we would never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
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.
19 This made Nebuchadnezzar so angry with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face twisted in rage. “Make the furnace seven times hotter than normal!” he ordered.
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.
20 Then he commanded some of his strongest soldiers, “Tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire!”
And he commanded mighty men to bind Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
21 So they were tied up, fully dressed in their coats, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.
Then those men were bound with their coats, and caps, and hose, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace,
22 Because the king's command was so harsh in making the furnace so extremely hot, the flames killed the soldiers who threw them in.
forasmuch as the king’s word prevailed; and the furnace was made exceeding hot.
23 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, still tied up, fell into the furnace of blazing fire.
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.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar suddenly jumped up in amazement. “Didn't we throw three men tied up into the furnace?” he asked his advisors. “Yes, that's right, Your Majesty,” they replied.
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.
25 “Look!” he cried out. “How is it that I can see four men, not tied up, walking around in the fire and not being burned? And the fourth one looks like a god!”
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.
26 Nebuchadnezzar went towards the door of the furnace of blazing fire. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” he shouted. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.
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.
27 The provincial governors, prefects, local governors, and the king's advisors gathered around them and saw that the fire had not harmed them. Their hair wasn't singed, their clothes weren't scorched—there wasn't even the smell of smoke!
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.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and he rescued his servants who trusted in him! They disobeyed my royal command, putting their lives on the line, and refused to worship any other gods except their God.
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.
29 Consequently I am issuing a decree that if anyone of any nation or language speaks disrespectfully about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they will be torn to pieces and their houses will be destroyed. There is no other God who is able to save like this!”
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.
30 Then Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, giving them even greater responsibilities in the province of Babylon.
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.
