Daniel 3
1 Nabugodonosor, the kyng, made a goldun ymage, in the heiythe of sixti cubitis, and in the breede of sixe cubitis; and he settide it in the feeld of Duram, of the prouynce of Babiloyne.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height [was] threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Therfor Nabugodonosor sente to gadere togidere the wise men, magistratis, and iugis, and duykis, and tirauntis, and prefectis, and alle princes of cuntreis, that thei schulden come togidere to the halewyng of the ymage, which the kyng Nabugodonosor hadde reisid.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3 Thanne the wise men, magistratis, and iugis, and duykis, and tirauntis, and beste men, that weren set in poweris, and alle the princes of cuntreis, weren gaderid togidere, that thei schulden come togidere to the halewyng of the ymage, which the kyng Nabugodonosor hadde reisid. Forsothe thei stoden in the siyt of the ymage, which Nabugodonosor hadde set; and a bedele criede myytili,
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 It is seid to you, puplis, kynredis, and langagis;
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 in the our in which ye heren the soun of trumpe, and of pipe, and of harpe, of sambuke, of sawtre, and of symphonye, and of al kynde of musikis, falle ye doun, and worschipe the goldun ymage, which the kyng Nabugodonosor made.
[That] at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
6 Sotheli if ony man fallith not doun, and worschipith not, in the same our he schal be sent in to the furneis of fier brennynge.
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7 Therfor aftir these thingis, anoon as alle puplis herden the sown of trumpe, of pipe, and of harpe, of sambuke, and of sawtre, of symphonye, and of al kynde of musikis, alle puplis, lynagis, and langagis fellen doun, and worschipiden the golden ymage, which the kyng Nabugodonosor hadde maad.
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down [and] worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 And anoon in that tyme men of Caldee neiyiden, and accusiden the Jewis,
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9 and seiden to the kyng Nabugodonosor, Kyng, lyue thou with outen ende.
They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, kyng, hast set a decree, that ech man that herith the sown of trumpe, of pipe, and of harpe, of sambuke, and of sawtree, and of symphonye, and of al kynde of musikis, bowe doun hym silf, and worschipe the goldun ymage; forsothe if ony man fallith not doun,
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11 and worschipith not, be he sent in to the furneis of fier brennynge.
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, [that] he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 Therfor men Jewis ben, Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, whiche thou hast ordeynede on the werkis of the cuntrei of Babiloyne. Thou kyng, these men han dispisid thi decree; thei onouren not thi goddis, and thei worshipen not the goldun ymage, which thou reisidist.
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Thanne Nabugodonosor comaundide, in woodnesse and in wraththe, that Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago schulden be brouyt; whiche weren brouyt anoon in the siyt of the kyng.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 And the kyng Nabugodonosor pronounside, and seide to hem, Whether verili Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, ye onouren not my goddis, and worschipen not the golden ymage, which Y made?
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, [Is it] true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now therfor be ye redi, in what euer our ye heren the sown of trumpe, of pipe, of harpe, of sambuke, of sawtree, and of symphonye, and of al kynde of musikis, bowe ye doun you, and worschipe the ymage which Y made; that if ye worschipen not, in the same our ye schulen be sent in to the furneis of fier brennynge; and who is God, that schal delyuere you fro myn hond?
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; [well: ] but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Sidrac, Misaac, and Abdenago answeriden, and seiden to the king Nabugodonosor, It nedith not, that we answere of this thing to thee.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 For whi oure God, whom we worschipen, mai rauysche vs fro the chymenei of fier brennynge, and mai delyuere fro thin hondis, thou kyng.
If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.
18 That if he nyle, be it knowun to thee, thou kyng, that we onouren not thi goddis, and we worschipen not the goldun ymage, which thou hast reisid.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Thanne Nabugodonosor was fillid of woodnesse, and the biholdyng of his face was chaungid on Sidrac, Misaac, and Abdenago. And he comaundide, that the furneis schulde be maad hattere seuenfold, than it was wont to be maad hoot.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: [therefore] he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he comaundide to the strongeste men of his oost, that thei schulden bynde the feet of Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, and sende hem in to the furneis of fier brennynge.
And he commanded the most mighty men that [were] in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, [and] to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
21 And anoon tho men weren boundun, with brechis, and cappis, and schoon, and clothis, and weren sent in to the myddis of the furneis of fier brennynge;
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their [other] garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 for whi comaundement of the kyng constreinede. Forsothe the furneis was maad ful hoot; certis the flawme of the fier killid tho men, that hadden sent Sidrac, Misaac, and Abdenago in to the furneis.
Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
23 Sotheli these thre men, Sidrac, Misaac, and Abdenago, fellen doun boundun in the mydis of the chymenei of fier brennynge.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Thanne kyng Nabugodonosor was astonyed, and roos hastily, and seide to hise beste men, Whether we senten not thre men feterid in to the myddis of the fier? Whiche answeriden the kyng, and seiden, Verili, kyng.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 The kyng answeride, and seide, Lo! Y se foure men vnboundun, and goynge in the myddis of the fier, and no thing of corrupcioun is in hem; and the licnesse of the fourthe is lijk the sone of God.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Thanne the kyng Nabugodonosor neiyide to the dore of the furneis of fier brennynge, and seide, Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, the seruauntis of hiy God lyuynge, go ye out, and come ye. And anoon Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, yeden out of the myddis of the fier.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come [hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the wise men, and magistratis, and iugis, and miyti men of the kyng, weren gaderid togidere, and bihelden tho men, for the fier hadde had no thing of power in the bodies of hem, and an heer of her heed was not brent; also the breechis of hem weren not chaungid, and the odour of fier hadde not passid bi hem.
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28 And Nabugodonosor brac out, and seide, Blessid be the God of hem, that is, of Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, that sente his aungel, and delyueride hise seruauntis, that bileuyden in to hym, and chaungiden the word of the kyng, and yauen her bodies, that thei schulden not serue, and that thei schulden not worschipe ony god, outakun her God aloone.
[Then] Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed [be] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therfor this decree is set of me, that ech puple, and langagis, and lynagis, who euer spekith blasfemye ayen God of Sidrac, and of Mysaac, and of Abdenago, perische, and his hous be distried; for noon other is God, that mai saue so.
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30 Thanne the kyng auaunside Sidrac, Mysaac, and Abdenago, in the prouynce of Babiloyne; and sente in to al the lond a pistle, conteynynge these wordis.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
