< Daniel 3 >
1 Nebuchad-nezzar the King made an image of gold, whose height was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof sixe cubites: hee set it vp in the plaine of Dura, in the prouince of Babel.
King Nabuchodonosor made a statue of gold, of sixty cubits high, and six cubits broad, and he set it up in the plain of Dura of the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nebuchad-nezzar ye King sent foorth to gather together the nobles, the princes and the dukes, the iudges, the receiuers, the counsellers, the officers, and all the gouernours of the prouinces, that they should come to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp.
Then Nabuchodonosor the king sent to call together the nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, the rulers, and governors, and all the chief men of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
3 So the nobles, princes and dukes, the iudges, the receiuers, the counsellers, the officers, and all the gouernours of the prouinces were assembled vnto the dedicating of the image, that Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp: and they stood before the image, which Nebuchad-nezzar had set vp.
Then the nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, and rulers, and the great men that were placed in authority, and all the princes of the provinces, were gathered together to come to the dedication of the statue, which king Nabuchodonosor had set up. And they stood before the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
4 Then an herald cried aloude, Be it knowen to you, O people, nations, and languages,
Then a herald cried with a strong voice: To you it is commanded, O nations, tribes, and languages:
5 That when ye heare the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, dulcimer, and all instruments of musike, ye fall downe and worship the golden image, that Nebuchad-nezzar the King hath set vp,
That in the hour that you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and of the flute, and of the harp, of the sackbut, and of the psaltery, and of the symphony, and of all kind of music; ye fall down and adore the golden statue which king Nabuchodonosor hath set up.
6 And whosoeuer falleth not downe and worshippeth, shall the same houre bee cast into the middes of an hote fierie fornace.
But if any man shall not fall down and adore, he shall the same hour be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
7 Therefore assoone as all the people heard the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, and all instruments of musike, all the people, nations, and languages fell downe, and worshipped the golden image, that Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp.
Upon this therefore, at the time when all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, of the sackbut, and the psaltery, of the symphony, and of all kind of music: all the nations, tribes, and languages fell down and adored the golden statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
8 By reason whereof at that same time came men of the Caldeans, and grieuously accused the Iewes.
And presently at that very time some Chaldeans came and accused the Jews,
9 For they spake and said to the King Nebuchad-nezzar, O King, liue for euer.
And said to king Nabuchodonosor: O king, live for ever:
10 Thou, O King, hast made a decree, that euery man that shall heare the sounde of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, and dulcimer, and all instruments of musike, shall fall downe and worship the golden image,
Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man that shall bear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, of the sackbut, and the psaltery, of the symphony, and of all kind of music, shall prostrate himself, and adore the golden statue:
11 And whosoeuer falleth not downe, and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the mids of an hote fierie fornace.
And that if any man shall not fall down and adore, he should be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
12 There are certeine Iewes whome thou hast set ouer the charge of ye prouince of Babel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: these men, O King, haue not regarded thy commandement, neither wil they serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, that thou hast set vp.
Now there are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the works of the province of Babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: these men, O king, have slighted thy decree: they worship not thy gods, nor do they adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchad-nezzar in his anger and wrath commanded that they should bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: so these men were brought before the King.
Then Nabuchodonosor in fury, and in wrath, commanded that Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago should be brought: who immediately were brought before the king.
14 And Nebuchad-nezzar spake, and said vnto them, What disorder? will not you, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego serue my god, nor worship the golden image, that I haue set vp?
And Nabuchodonosor the king spoke to them, and said: Is it true, O Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the golden statue that I have set up?
15 Now therefore are ye ready when ye heare the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, and dulcimer, and all instruments of musike, to fall downe, and worship the image, which I haue made? for if ye worship it not, ye shall be cast immediatly into the middes of an hote fierie fornace: for who is that God, that can deliuer you out of mine handes?
Now therefore if you be ready at what hour soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and symphony, and of all kind of music, prostrate yourselves, and adore the statue which I have made: but if you do not adore, you shall be cast the same hour into the furnace of burning fire: and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, O Nebuchad-nezzar, we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter.
Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago answered and said to king Nabuchodonosor: We have no occasion to answer thee concerning this matter.
17 Beholde, our God whom we serue, is able to deliuer vs from the hote fierie fornace, and hee will deliuer vs out of thine hand, O King.
For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to save us from the furnace of burning fire, and to deliver us out of thy hands, O king.
18 But if not, bee it knowen to thee, O King, that wee will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set vp.
But if he will not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not worship thy gods, nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchad-nezzar full of rage, and the forme of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore hee charged and commanded that they should heate the fornace at once seuen times more then it was wont to be heat.
Then was Nabuchodonosor filled with fury: and the countenance of his face was changed against Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times more than it had been accustomed to be heated.
20 And hee charged the most valiant men of warre that were in his armie, to binde Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the hote fierie fornace.
And he commanded the strongest men that were in his army, to bind the feet of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire.
21 So these men were bounde in their coates, their hosen, and their clokes, with their other garments, and cast into the middes of the hote fierie fornace.
And immediately these men were bound and were cast into the furnace of burning fire, with their coats, and their caps, and their shoes, and their garments.
22 Therefore, because the Kings commandement was straite, that the fornace should be exceeding hote, the flame of the fire slew those men that brought foorth Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
For the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace was heated exceedingly. And the flame of the fire slew those men that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago.
23 And these three men Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell downe bound into the middes of the hote fierie fornace.
But these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell down bound in the midst of the furnace of burning fire.
24 Then Nebuchad-nezzar the King was astonied and rose vp in haste, and spake, and saide vnto his counsellers, Did not wee cast three men bound into the middes of the fire? Who answered and said vnto the King, It is true, O King.
Then Nabuchodonosor the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles: Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered the king, and said: True, O king.
25 And he answered, and said, Loe, I see foure men loose, walking in the middes of the fire, and they haue no hurt, and the forme of the fourth is like the sonne of God.
He answered, and said: Behold I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then the King Nebuchad-nezzar came neere to the mouth of the hote fierie fornace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the seruants of the hie God goe foorth and come hither: so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came foorth of the middes of the fire.
Then Nabuchodonosor came to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said: Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, go ye forth, and come. And immediately Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago went out from the midst of the fire.
27 Then the nobles, princes and dukes, and the Kings counsellers came together to see these men, because the fire had no power ouer their bodies: for not an heare of their head was burnt, neither was their coates changed, nor any smelll of fire came vpon them.
And the nobles, and the magistrates, and the judges, and the great men of the king being gathered together, considered these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies, and that not a hair of their head had been singed, nor their garments altered, nor the smell of the fire had passed on them.
28 Wherefore Nebuchad-nezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his Angel, and deliuered his seruants, that put their trust in him, and haue changed the Kings commandement, and yeelded their bodies rather then they would serue or worship any god, saue their owne God.
Then Nabuchodonosor breaking forth, said: Blessed be the God of them, to wit, of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that believed in him: and they changed the king’s word, and delivered up their bodies that they might not serve, nor adore any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, that euery people, nation, and language, which speake any blasphemie against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, shalbe drawen in pieces, and their houses shall be made a iakes, because there is no god that can deliuer after this sort.
By me therefore this decree is made, that every people, tribe, and tongue, which shall speak blasphemy against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses laid waste: for there is no other God that can save in this manner.
30 Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the prouince of Babel.
Then the king promoted Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, in the province of Babylon.