Daniel 3
1 King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his men to make a gold statue. It was (90 feet/27 meters) high and (9 feet/2.7 meters) wide. They set it up in the Dura plain in Babylon province.
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 sent messages to all the provincial governors, the district governors, the chief advisors, the counselors, the various judges, and all the other officials in the province. He told them to come to the dedication of the statue that 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 When they all arrived, they all stood in front of that statue.
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 an announcer shouted, “You people who come from many countries and many people-groups and [who speak many] languages, listen to what the king has commanded!
Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, you peoples, tribes, [and] languages,
5 When you hear the sounds made by the trumpets, the flutes, the guitars, the harps, the wind instruments, and all the other musical instruments, bow down to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.
at what hour you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and lute, and every kind of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image which king Nabuchodonosor has set up.
6 Anyone who refuses to do that will be thrown into a blazing furnace!”
And whoever shall not fall down and worship, in the same hour he shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
7 So when all those people who had gathered heard the sounds made by the musical instruments, they all bowed down to worship the statue.
And it came to pass when the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and lute, 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 But some of the men who studied the stars went to the king.
Then came near [certain] Chaldeans, and accused the Jews to the king, [saying],
9 They reported to him, “We hope that you, O king, will live a long time!
O king, live for ever.
10 You decreed that all the officials [whom you had gathered] should bow down and worship the gold statue when they heard the sounds made by the musical instruments.
You, O king, has made a decree that every man who shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, sackbut, and lute, and all kinds of music,
11 You also decreed that those who refused to do that would be thrown into a blazing furnace.
and shall not fall down and worship the golden image, shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
12 Sir, there are some men from Judah whom you have appointed to be officials in Babylon province who have not obeyed your decree. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They have refused to worship your god and the gold statue that you have set up.”
There are [certain] Jews whom you has appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, who have not obeyed your decree, O king: they serve not your gods, and worship not the golden image which you have set up.
13 Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He commanded [his soldiers] to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were brought to him,
Then Nabuchodonosor in wrath and anger commanded to bring Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and they were brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true that you three men have refused to worship my gods or the gold statue that I have set up?
And Nabuchodonosor answered and said to them, Is it true, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, that you serve not my gods, and worship not the golden image which I have set up?
15 [If that is true, ] I will give you one more chance. If you bow down to worship the statue that I have set up when you hear the sounds of the musical instruments, fine. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. Then (what god will be able to rescue you from my power?/no god will be able to rescue you from my power!)” [RHQ]
Now then if you be ready, whenever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and lute, and harmony, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the golden image which I have made; [well]: but if you worship not, in the same hour you shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend our [actions] to you in this matter.
Then answered Sedrach, Misach [and] Abdenago and said to king Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer you concerning this matter.
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we worship is able to rescue us. Sir, he will rescue us from your power.
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 your hands, O king.
18 But [even] if he does not [rescue us], you need to know that we will never worship your gods or the gold statue that you have set up.”
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we [will] not serve your gods, nor worship the image which you have set up.
19 Nebuchadnezzar was extremely angry. [His being very angry even] showed on his face. He commanded that the furnace should be made seven times as hot as usual.
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 [After that was done, ] he commanded some of the [very] strong men of his army to tie Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and [then] to throw them into the blazing furnace.
And he commanded mighty men to bind Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
21 So [the soldiers] tied them up and threw them into the furnace, while they were wearing their clothes.
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 fire had been made very hot because the king had very strongly ordered them to do that, the flames [leaped out and] killed the soldiers as they were throwing the men into the fire!
forasmuch as the king's word prevailed; and the furnace was made exceeding hot.
23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the roaring flames.
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 But as Nebuchadnezzar was watching, he was amazed. He suddenly jumped up and shouted to his advisors, “Did we tie up three men and throw them into the flames, or not?” They replied, “Yes, O king, [we did].”
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 Nebuchadnezzar shouted, “[Look]! I see four men in the fire! They have no ropes on them, they are walking around, and [the flames] are not hurting them! And the fourth man looks like a divine being!”
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 came closer to the opening of the flaming furnace, and he shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you who worship the Supreme God, come out of there! Come here!” So they stepped out of the fire.
Then Nabuchodonosor drew near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, you servants of the most high God, proceed forth, and come here. So Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, came forth out of the midst of the fire.
27 Then all the king’s officials crowded around them. They saw that the flames had not harmed them. The flames had not [even] singed any of the hair on their heads or scorched any of their clothes! There was not [even] any smell of smoke on them!
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 whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego [worship]! He sent one of his angels to rescue these [three] men who worship him and trust in him. They ignored my command; they insisted that they would worship only their God, and were willing to die instead of worshiping any other 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 Therefore, I am [now] making this decree: ‘If any people, from any country or people-group or any language group, criticize the God whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worship, they will be cut in pieces and their houses [will be torn down and] made into a pile of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue people like this!’”
Therefore 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 the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego more important positions in Babylon province than they had before.
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.
