< Daniel 3 >

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue that was sixty cubits tall and six cubits wide. He set it up in the Plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
尼布甲尼撒王造了一個金像,高六十肘,寬六肘,立在巴比倫省杜拉平原。
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar sent messages out to gather together the provincial governors, regional governors, and local governors, together with the counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the high officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that he had set up.
尼布甲尼撒王差人將總督、欽差、巡撫、臬司、藩司、謀士、法官,和各省的官員都召了來,為尼布甲尼撒王所立的像行開光之禮。
3 Then the provincial governors, regional governors, and local governors, together with the counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the high officials of the provinces gathered together to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They stood before it.
於是總督、欽差、巡撫、臬司、藩司、謀士、法官,和各省的官員都聚集了來,要為尼布甲尼撒王所立的像行開光之禮,就站在尼布甲尼撒所立的像前。
4 Then a herald loudly shouted, “You are commanded, peoples, nations, and languages,
那時傳令的大聲呼叫說:「各方、各國、各族的人哪,有令傳與你們:
5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, and pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and prostrate yourselves to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
你們一聽見角、笛、琵琶、琴、瑟、笙,和各樣樂器的聲音,就當俯伏敬拜尼布甲尼撒王所立的金像。
6 Whoever does not fall down and worship, at that very moment, will be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
凡不俯伏敬拜的,必立時扔在烈火的窯中。」
7 So when all the peoples heard the sounds of the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, and pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and prostrated themselves to the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
因此各方、各國、各族的人民一聽見角、笛、琵琶、琴、瑟,和各樣樂器的聲音,就都俯伏敬拜尼布甲尼撒王所立的金像。
8 Now at this time certain Chaldeans came and brought accusations against the Jews.
那時,有幾個迦勒底人進前來控告猶大人。
9 They said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, “King, live forever!
他們對尼布甲尼撒王說:「願王萬歲!
10 You, king, have made a decree that every person who hears the sounds of the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, and pipes, and all kinds of music, must fall down and prostrate himself to the golden statue.
王啊,你曾降旨說,凡聽見角、笛、琵琶、琴、瑟、笙,和各樣樂器聲音的都當俯伏敬拜金像。
11 Whoever does not fall down and worship must be thrown into a blazing furnace.
凡不俯伏敬拜的,必扔在烈火的窯中。
12 Now there are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon; their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, king, pay no attention to you. They will not worship or serve your gods, or prostrate themselves before the golden statue you have set up.”
現在有幾個猶大人,就是王所派管理巴比倫省事務的沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌;王啊,這些人不理你,不事奉你的神,也不敬拜你所立的金像。」
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, filled with anger and rage, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought to him. So they brought these men before the king.
當時,尼布甲尼撒沖沖大怒,吩咐人把沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌帶過來,他們就把那些人帶到王面前。
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Have you made your minds up, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not worship my gods or prostrate yourselves to the golden statue that I have set up?
尼布甲尼撒問他們說:「沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌,你們不事奉我的神,也不敬拜我所立的金像,是故意的嗎?
15 Now if you are ready—when you hear the sounds of the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, and pipes, and all kinds of music—to fall down and prostrate yourselves to the statue that I have made, all will be well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Who is the god who is able to rescue you out of my hands?”
你們再聽見角、笛、琵琶、琴、瑟、笙,和各樣樂器的聲音,若俯伏敬拜我所造的像,卻還可以;若不敬拜,必立時扔在烈火的窯中,有何神能救你們脫離我手呢?」
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌對王說:「尼布甲尼撒啊,這件事我們不必回答你,
17 If there is an answer, it is that our God whom we serve is able to keep us safe from the blazing furnace, and he will rescue us out of your hand, king.
即便如此,我們所事奉的上帝能將我們從烈火的窯中救出來。王啊,他也必救我們脫離你的手;
18 But if not, let it be known to you, king, that we will not worship your gods, and we will not prostrate ourselves to the golden statue you set up.”
即或不然,王啊,你當知道我們決不事奉你的神,也不敬拜你所立的金像。」
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage; the look on his face changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was normally heated.
當時,尼布甲尼撒怒氣填胸,向沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌變了臉色,吩咐人把窯燒熱,比尋常更加七倍;
20 Then he commanded some very strong men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the blazing furnace.
又吩咐他軍中的幾個壯士,將沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌捆起來,扔在烈火的窯中。
21 They were tied up still wearing their robes, tunics, turbans, and other clothing, and they were thrown into the blazing furnace.
這三人穿着褲子、內袍、外衣,和別的衣服,被捆起來扔在烈火的窯中。
22 Because the king's command was strictly followed and the furnace was very hot, the flames killed the men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
因為王命緊急,窯又甚熱,那抬沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌的人都被火焰燒死。
23 These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the blazing furnace while they were tied up.
沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌這三個人都被捆着落在烈火的窯中。
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was amazed and stood up quickly. He asked his advisors, “Did we not throw three men tied up into the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, king.”
那時,尼布甲尼撒王驚奇,急忙起來,對謀士說:「我們捆起來扔在火裏的不是三個人嗎?」他們回答王說:「王啊,是。」
25 He said, “But I see four men who are not tied up walking around in the fire, and they are not hurt. The brilliance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
王說:「看哪,我見有四個人,並沒有捆綁,在火中遊行,也沒有受傷;那第四個的相貌好像神子。」
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the door of the blazing furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of God Most High, come out! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.
於是,尼布甲尼撒就近烈火窯門,說:「至高上帝的僕人沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌出來,上這裏來吧!」沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌就從火中出來了。
27 The provincial governors, regional governors, other governors, and the king's counselors who had gathered together saw these men. The fire had not hurt their bodies; the hair on their heads was not singed; their robes were not harmed; and there was no smell of fire on them.
那些總督、欽差、巡撫,和王的謀士一同聚集看這三個人,見火無力傷他們的身體,頭髮也沒有燒焦,衣裳也沒有變色,並沒有火燎的氣味。
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Let us praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his messenger and given his message to his servants. They trusted in him when they set aside my command, and they gave up their bodies rather than worship or prostrate themselves to any god except their God.
尼布甲尼撒說:「沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌的上帝是應當稱頌的!他差遣使者救護倚靠他的僕人,他們不遵王命,捨去己身,在他們上帝以外不肯事奉敬拜別神。
29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must be torn apart, and that their houses must be made into rubbish heaps because there is no other god who is able to save like this.”
現在我降旨,無論何方、何國、何族的人,謗讟沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌之上帝的,必被凌遲,他的房屋必成糞堆,因為沒有別神能這樣施行拯救。」
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
那時王在巴比倫省,高升了沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌。

< Daniel 3 >