< Daniel 3 >

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king hath made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits; he hath raised it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon;
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits, and the breadth of which was six cubits: he set it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.
And king Nebuchadnezzar sent to assemble [his] lieutenants, the superintendents, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, those learned in the law, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3 Then are gathered the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the province, to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up: and they are standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar hath raised up.
Thereupon were assembled the lieutenants, the superintendents, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, those learned in the law, and all the rulers of the provinces unto the dedication of the image that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood opposite to the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 And a crier is calling mightily: 'To you they are saying: O peoples, nations, and languages!
Then a herald called out with a loud voice, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 at the time that ye hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the symphony, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and do obeisance to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up:
That at the time when ye do hear the sound of the cornet, flute, guitar, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye shall fall down and bow yourselves to the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar hath set up:
6 and whoso doth not fall down and do obeisance, in that hour he is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.'
And whoso doth not fall down and bow himself shall in the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples are hearing the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, falling down are all the peoples, nations and languages, doing obeisance to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.
Therefore at the same time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, guitar, harp, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down bowing themselves to the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Therefore at that time drawn near have certain Chaldeans, and accused the Jews;
Therefore at the same time certain Chaldean men came near, and accused the Jews treacherously.
9 they have answered, yea, they are saying to Nebuchadnezzar the king, 'O king, to the ages live!
They commenced and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man who doth hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, doth fall down and do obeisance to the golden image;
Thou, O king, hadst made a decree, that every man that should hear the sound of the cornet, flute, guitar, harp, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, should fall down and bow himself to the golden image;
11 and whoso doth not fall down and do obeisance, is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
And that whoso should not fall down and bow himself should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the work of the province of Babylon — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, these men have not made of thee, O king, [any] regard; thy gods they are not serving, and to the golden image thou hast raised up — are not making obeisance.'
There are certain Jewish men whom thou hast appointed over the public service of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego: these men, O king, have not paid any regard to thee; thy god they do not worship, and to the golden image which thou hast set up they do not bow themselves.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in anger and fury, hath said to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then these men have been brought in before the king.
Then ordered Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego. Then were these men brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar hath answered and said to them, 'Is [it] a laid plan, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego — my gods ye are not serving, and to the golden image that I have raised up ye are not doing obeisance?
Nebuchadnezzar commenced and said unto them, Is it out of disrespect, O Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego? My god ye do not worship, and to the golden image which I have set up ye do not bow yourselves?
15 Now, lo, ye are ready, so that at the time that ye hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and do obeisance to the image that I have made! — and lo, ye do no obeisance — in that hour ye are cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; who is that God who doth deliver you out of my hands?'
Now then if ye be ready at the time when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, guitar, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, to fall down and bow yourselves to the image which I have made, [well]; but if ye bow yourselves not, ye shall be cast in the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace: and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hand?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego have answered, yea, they are saying to the king Nebuchadnezzar, 'We have no need concerning this matter to answer thee.
Then answered Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee a word in this matter.
17 Lo, it is; our God whom we are serving, is able to deliver us from a burning fiery furnace; and from thy hand, O king, He doth deliver.
Behold, there is our God whom we worship, he is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace: and out of thy hand, O king, will he deliver us.
18 And lo — not! be it known to thee, O king, that thy gods we are not serving, and to the golden image thou hast raised up we do no obeisance.'
But if not, then be it known unto thee, O king, that thy god will we not worship, and to the golden image which; thou hast set up will we not bow ourselves.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar hath been full of fury, and the expression of his face hath been changed concerning Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; he answered and said to heat the furnace seven times above that which it is seen to be heated;
Then was Nebuchadnezzar filled with fury, and the form of his countenance was changed because of Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego; [and] he commenced and ordered that they should heat the furnace thoroughly seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 and to certain mighty men who [are] in his force he hath said to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to cast into the burning fiery furnace.
And he ordered the mightiest men in strength that were in his army, to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, [and] to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men have been bound in their coats, their tunics, and their turbans, and their clothing, and have been cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then were these men bound in their mantles, their under-garments, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore, because that the word of the king is urgent, and the furnace heated exceedingly, those men who have taken up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego — killed them hath the spark of the fire.
Now, because the king's command was so urgent, and the furnace exceedingly heated, the flame of the fire slew those men that carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, have fallen down in the midst of the burning fiery furnace — bound.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king hath been astonished, and hath risen in haste; he hath answered and said to his counsellors, 'Have we not cast three men into the midst of the fire — bound?' They have answered and are saying to the king, 'Certainly, O king.'
Then was king Nebuchadnezzar astonished, and he rose up in haste, [and] commenced, and said unto his counsellors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, Certainly, O king.
25 He answered and hath said, 'Lo, I am seeing four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth [is] like to a son of the gods.'
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no injury on them; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar hath drawn near to the gate of the burning fiery furnace; he hath answered and said, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of God Most High come forth, yea, come;' then come forth do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, from the midst of the fire;
Then came Nebuchadnezzar near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, commenced, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, step forth, and come hither. Then stepped Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego forth out of the midst of the fire.
27 and gathered together, the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the counsellors of the king, are seeing these men, that the fire hath no power over their bodies, and the hair of their head hath not been singed, and their coats have not changed, and the smell of fire hath not passed on them.
And the lieutenants, superintendents, and governors, and the king's counsellors, being assembled together, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had had no power, and the hair of whose head was not singed, whose mantles were not changed, and on whom there was not come the smell of fire.
28 Nebuchadnezzar hath answered and hath said, 'Blessed [is] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who hath sent His messenger, and hath delivered His servants who trusted on Him, and the word of the king changed, and gave up their bodies that they might not serve nor do obeisance to any god except to their own God.
Then commenced Nebuchadnezzar, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that had trusted in him, and had transgressed the king's word, and yielded up their bodies, that they might not worship no bow themselves to any god, except their own God.
29 And by me a decree is made, that any people, nation, and language, that doth speak erroneously concerning the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, pieces he is made, and its house is made a dunghill, because that there is no other god who is able thus to deliver.'
Therefore do I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, that may speak any thing disrespectful against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be changed into a dunghill; because there is no other God that can deliver like this one.
30 Then the king hath caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to prosper in the province of Babylon.
Then did the king promote Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.

< Daniel 3 >