Daniel 3
1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue made that was sixty cubits tall and six cubits wide. He had it set up on the plain 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 Then he summoned the provincial governors, prefects, local governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue he had set 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 They all came to the dedication of the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up and stood in front of it.
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 Then a herald announced in a loud voice, “People of all nations and languages, pay attention to the king's command!
Then a herald called out with a loud voice, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of musical instruments, you must fall to the ground and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set 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 Anyone who doesn't immediately fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.”
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 So when all the people heard the sound of the musical instruments they all fell down—the people of all nations and languages worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set 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 Right then some of the astrologers came forward and made accusations against the Jews.
Therefore at the same time certain Chaldean men came near, and accused the Jews treacherously.
9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May Your Majesty the king live forever!
They commenced and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Your Majesty has decreed that everyone who hears the sound of the musical instruments shall fall down and worship the gold statue,
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 that anyone who does not shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.
And that whoso should not fall down and bow himself should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 But there are some Jews that you placed in charge of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who pay no attention to Your Majesty's decree. They do not serve your gods and will not worship the gold statue you set up.”
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 This made Nebuchadnezzar absolutely furious. “Bring me Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!” he demanded. So they were brought 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 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are you deliberately refusing to serve my gods and worship the gold statue I set up?” asked the king.
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 “Are you ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments? If you don't, you will be immediately thrown into the furnace of blazing fire, and there's no god who can save you from my power!”
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 “King Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to defend ourselves before you over this,” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied.
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 “If our God whom we serve so wishes, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. He will save us from your power, Your Majesty.
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 But even if he does not, Your Majesty needs to know that we would never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
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 This made Nebuchadnezzar so angry with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face twisted in rage. “Make the furnace seven times hotter than normal!” he ordered.
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 Then he commanded some of his strongest soldiers, “Tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire!”
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 So they were tied up, fully dressed in their coats, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.
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 Because the king's command was so harsh in making the furnace so extremely hot, the flames killed the soldiers who threw them in.
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 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, still tied up, fell into the furnace of blazing fire.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar suddenly jumped up in amazement. “Didn't we throw three men tied up into the furnace?” he asked his advisors. “Yes, that's right, Your Majesty,” they replied.
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 “Look!” he cried out. “How is it that I can see four men, not tied up, walking around in the fire and not being burned? And the fourth one looks like a god!”
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 Nebuchadnezzar went towards the door of the furnace of blazing fire. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” he shouted. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out 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 The provincial governors, prefects, local governors, and the king's advisors gathered around them and saw that the fire had not harmed them. Their hair wasn't singed, their clothes weren't scorched—there wasn't even the smell of smoke!
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 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and he rescued his servants who trusted in him! They disobeyed my royal command, putting their lives on the line, and refused to worship any other gods except their 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 Consequently I am issuing a decree that if anyone of any nation or language speaks disrespectfully about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they will be torn to pieces and their houses will be destroyed. There is no other God who is able to save like this!”
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 Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, giving them even greater responsibilities in the province of Babylon.
Then did the king promote Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
