Daniel

3 King Nebucadnessar made a gold statue ninety feet high and nine feet across, which he erected on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon; 2* and King Nebucadnessar sent to assemble the satraps, viceroys, and governors, the councillors, ministers, judges, recorders, and all the authorities of the provinces, to come for the dedication of the statue King Nebucadnessar had erected. 3 Then the satraps, viceroys, and governors, the councillors, ministers, judges, recorders, and all the authorities of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue King Nebucadnessar had erected and took their stand before the statue King Nebucadnessar had erected, 4 and a herald proclaimed loudly “Peoples, nations, and languages, you are ordered that 5 at the time when you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the zither, the harp, the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, you are to throw yourselves down and do reverence to the gold statue which King Nebucadnessar has erected. 6* And whoever does not throw himself down and do reverence shall that moment be thrown into the heart of the furnace with the fire burning.” 7 Accordingly at the time when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the zither, the harp, and all sorts of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages threw themselves down doing reverence to the gold statue King Nebucadnessar had erected.

8* Accordingly at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and laid information against the Jews; 9* they said to King Nebucadnessar “Live forever, your majesty! 10 Your majesty has issued a decree that any man who heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the zither, the harp, and the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, should throw himself down and do reverence to the gold statue, 11 and whoever did not throw himself down and do reverence should be thrown into the heart of the furnace with the fire burning. 12 There are certain Jews whom you appointed to the administration of the province of Babylon, Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego: those men have paid no attention to your majesty: they do not worship your gods and they do not do reverence to the gold statue you have erected.”

13 Then Nebucadnessar, in great excitement and passion, ordered Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego to be brought. Then those men were brought before the king. 14 Nebucadnessar said to them “Is it a fact, Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego, that you are not worshiping my gods nor doing reverence to the gold statue I have erected? 15 Now if you are ready at the time when you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the zither, the harp, the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, to throw yourselves down and do reverence to the statue which I have made,—but if you do not do reverence, that moment you shall be thrown into the heart of the furnace with the fire burning. And who is a god that will save you out of my hands?”

16 Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego answered King Nebucadnessar “We do not need to argue this point with you: 17** whether our God whom we worship can save us out of the furnace with the fire burning and will save us out of your majesty’s hands 18 or not, take notice, your majesty, that we do not worship your gods and will not do reverence to the gold statue you have erected.”

19* Then Nebucadnessar was filled with passion and his face was distorted as he looked at Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego. He answered by ordering the furnace heated seven times hotter than was normal 20 and ordering powerful men of his troops to bind Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego, to throw them into the furnace with the fire burning. 21 Then those men were bound in their cloaks, trousers, caps, and clothing, and were thrown into the heart of the furnace with the fire burning. 22 Thereupon, since the king’s word was rigorous and the furnace was heated intensely, the blaze of the fire killed those men who lifted Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego.

23 And those men all three of them, Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego, fell down bound into the heart of the furnace with the fire burning. 24* Then King Nebucadnessar started to his feet in amazement; he answered his courtiers’ looks by saying “Did we not throw three men bound into the heart of the fire?”

They answered the king “Yes, your majesty.”

25* He answered “Here I see four men unbound walking unharmed in the heart of the fire, and the look of the fourth is like a son of a god.”

26* Then Nebucadnessar approached the door of the furnace with the fire burning, saying “Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego, worshipers of the Most High God, come out and go your way.” Then Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego came out of the heart of the fire; 27 and the satraps, viceroys, and governors and the king’s courtiers assembled and saw those men, how the fire had had no effect on their bodies, and the hair on their heads had not been singed, and their mantles were not affected, and no odor of fire had passed to them.

28** Nebucadnessar answered “Blessed be the god of Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego, who has sent his angel and saved his worshipers who trusted to him and went against the king’s word and gave up their bodies that they might not worship nor do reverence to any god but theirs. 29** And it is hereby ordered that in every people, nation, and language he who says anything careless against the god of Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego shall be cut to pieces and his house made a garbage-dump, inasmuch as there is no other god that can give a deliverance like this.” 30 Then the king advanced Shadrac, Meshac, and ʽAbed-Nego in the province of Babylon.