< 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.
Nabuchodonosor rex fecit statuam auream altitudine cubitorum sexaginta, latitudine cubitorum sex, et statuit eam in campo Dura provinciæ Babylonis.
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.
Itaque Nabuchodonosor rex misit ad congregandos satrapas, magistratus, et iudices, duces, et tyrannos, et præfectos, omnesque principes regionum, ut convenirent ad dedicationem statuæ, quam erexerat Nabuchodonosor rex.
3 When they all arrived, they all stood in front of that statue.
Tunc congregati sunt satrapæ, magistratus, et iudices, duces, et tyranni, et optimates, qui erant in potestatibus constituti, et universi principes regionum ut convenirent ad dedicationem statuæ, quam erexerat Nabuchodonosor rex. stabant autem in conspectu statuæ, quam posuerat Nabuchodonosor rex:
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!
et præco clamabat valenter: Vobis dicitur populis, tribubus, et linguis:
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.
In hora, qua audieritis sonitum tubæ, et fistulæ, et citharæ, sambucæ, et psalterii, et symphoniæ, et universi generis musicorum, cadentes adorate statuam auream, quam constituit Nabuchodonosor rex.
6 Anyone who refuses to do that will be thrown into a blazing furnace!”
Si quis autem non prostratus adoraverit, eadem hora mittetur in fornacem ignis ardentis.
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.
Post hæc igitur statim ut audierunt omnes populi sonitum tubæ, fistulæ, et citharæ, sambucæ, et psalterii, et symphoniæ, et omnis generis musicorum: cadentes omnes populi, tribus, et linguæ adoraverunt statuam auream, quam constituerat Nabuchodonosor rex.
8 But some of the men who studied the stars went to the king.
Statimque in ipso tempore accedentes viri Chaldæi accusaverunt Iudæos:
9 They reported to him, “We hope that you, O king, will live a long time!
dixeruntque Nabuchodonosor regi: Rex in æternum vive:
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.
tu rex posuisti decretum, ut omnis homo, qui audierit sonitum tubæ, fistulæ, et citharæ, sambucæ, et psalterii, et symphoniæ, et universi generis musicorum, prosternat se, et adoret statuam auream:
11 You also decreed that those who refused to do that would be thrown into a blazing furnace.
si quis autem non procidens adoraverit, mittatur in fornacem ignis ardentis.
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.”
Sunt ergo viri Iudæi, quos constituisti super opera regionis Babylonis, Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago: viri isti contempserunt, rex, decretum tuum: deos tuos non colunt, et statuam auream, quam erexisti, non adorant.
13 Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He commanded [his soldiers] to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were brought to him,
Tunc Nabuchodonosor in furore, et in ira præcepit ut adducerentur Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago: qui confestim adducti sunt in conspectu regis.
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?
Pronunciansque Nabuchodonosor rex, ait eis: Verene Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago deos meos non colitis, et statuam auream, quam constitui, non adoratis?
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]
Nunc ergo si estis parati, quacumque hora audieritis sonitum tubæ, fistulæ, citharæ, sambucæ, et psalterii, et symphoniæ, omnisque generis musicorum, prosternite vos, et adorate statuam, quam feci: quod si non adoraveritis, eadem hora mittemini in fornacem ignis ardentis: et quis est Deus, qui eripiet vos de manu mea?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend our [actions] to you in this matter.
Respondentes Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago, dixerunt regi Nabuchodonosor: Non oportet nos de hac re respondere tibi.
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.
Ecce enim Deus noster, quem colimus, potest eripere nos de camino ignis ardentis, et de manibus tuis, o rex, liberare.
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.”
Quod si noluerit, notum sit tibi, rex, quia deos tuos non colimus, et statuam auream, quam erexisti, non adoramus.
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.
Tunc Nabuchodonosor repletus est furore: et aspectus faciei illius immutatus est super Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago, et præcepit ut succenderetur fornax septuplum quam succendi consueverat.
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.
Et viris fortissimis de exercitu suo iussit ut ligatis pedibus Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago mitterent eos in fornacem ignis ardentis.
21 So [the soldiers] tied them up and threw them into the furnace, while they were wearing their clothes.
Et confestim viri illi vincti cum braccis suis, et tiaris, et calceamentis, et vestibus missi sunt in medium fornacis ignis ardentis.
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!
nam iussio regis urgebat: fornax autem succensa erat nimis. Porro viros illos, qui miserant Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago, interfecit flamma ignis.
23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the roaring flames.
Viri autem hi tres, id est, Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago, ceciderunt in medio camino ignis ardentis, colligati.
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].”
Tunc Nabuchodonosor rex obstupuit, et surrexit propere, et ait optimatibus suis: Nonne tres viros misimus in medium ignis compeditos? Qui respondentes regi, dixerunt: Vere rex.
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!”
Respondit, et ait: Ecce ego video quattuor viros solutos, et ambulantes in medio ignis, et nihil corruptionis in eis est, et species quarti similis filio Dei.
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.
Tunc accessit Nabuchodonosor ad ostium fornacis ignis ardentis, et ait: Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago servi Dei excelsi, egredimini, et venite. Statimque egressi sunt Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago de medio ignis.
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!
Et congregati satrapæ, et magistratus, et iudices, et potentes regis contemplabantur viros illos, quoniam nihil potestatis habuisset ignis in corporibus eorum, et capillus capitis eorum non esset adustus, et sarabala eorum non fuissent immutata, et odor ignis non transisset per eos.
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.
Et erumpens Nabuchodonosor, ait: Benedictus Deus eorum, Sidrach videlicet, Misach, et Abdenago, qui misit angelum suum, et eruit servos suos, qui crediderunt in eum: et verbum regis immutaverunt, et tradiderunt corpora sua ne servirent, et ne adorarent omnem deum, excepto Deo suo.
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!’”
A me ergo positum est hoc decretum, ut omnis populus, tribus, et lingua, quæcumque locuta fuerit blasphemiam contra Deum Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago, dispereat, et domus eius vastetur: neque enim est alius Deus, qui possit ita salvare.
30 Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego more important positions in Babylon province than they had before.
Tunc rex promovit Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago in provincia Babylonis.