Nebuchadnezzar the king
made
an aimage
of gold
, the height
of which was sixty
1cubits
and its width
six
1cubits
; he set
it up on the plain
of Dura
in the bprovince
of Babylon
.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king
sent
word to assemble
the asatraps
, the prefects
and the governors
, the counselors
, the treasurers
, the judges
, the magistrates
and all
the rulers
of the provinces
to come
to the dedication
of the image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
had set
up.
Then the satraps
, the prefects
and the governors
, the counselors
, the treasurers
, the judges
, the magistrates
and all
the rulers
of the provinces
were assembled
for the dedication
of the image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
had set
up; and they stood
before
the image
that Nebuchadnezzar
had set
up.
Then the herald loudly
proclaimed
: "To you 1the command
is given
, aO peoples
, nations
and men of every 2language
,
that at the moment you ahear
the sound
of the horn
, flute
, 1lyre
, 2trigon
, 3psaltery
, bagpipe
and all
kinds
of music
, you are to fall
down
and worship
the golden
image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
has set
up.
"But whoever does not fall
down
and worship
shall 1immediately
be acast
into the midst
of a bfurnace
of blazing
fire
."
Therefore at that time
, when
all
the peoples
heard
the sound
of the horn
, flute
, 1lyre
, trigon
, psaltery
, bagpipe
and all
kinds
of music
, all
the peoples
, nations
and men of every 2language
fell
down
and worshiped
the golden
image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
had set
up.
For this reason
at that time
certain
aChaldeans
came
forward
and 1 bbrought
charges
against
the Jews
.
They responded and said
to Nebuchadnezzar
the king
: " aO king
, live
forever
!
"You, O king, have amade
a decree
that every
man
who
hears
the sound
of the horn
, flute
, 1lyre
, trigon
, psaltery
, and bagpipe
and all
kinds
of music
, is to bfall
down
and worship
the golden
image
.
"But whoever does not fall
down
and worship
shall be cast
into the midst
of a furnace
of blazing
fire
.
"There are certain
Jews
whom
you have aappointed
over
the administration
of the province
of Babylon
, namely Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
. These
men
, O king
, have disregarded
you; they do not serve
your gods
or worship
the golden
image
which
you have set
up."
Then Nebuchadnezzar
in arage
and anger
gave
orders
to bring
Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
; then
these
men
were brought
before
the king
.
Nebuchadnezzar responded
and said
to them, "Is it true
, Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
, that you do
not serve
amy gods
or worship
the golden
image
that I have set
up?
"Now if
you are ready
, aat the moment
you hear
the sound
of the horn
, flute
, 1lyre
, trigon
, psaltery
and bagpipe
and all
kinds
of music
, to fall
down
and worship
the image
that I have made
, very well. But if
you do not worship
, you will 2immediately
be bcast
into the midst
of a furnace
of blazing
fire
; and cwhat
god
is there who
can deliver
you out of my hands
?"
aShadrach, Meshach
and Abed-nego
replied
to the king
, "O Nebuchadnezzar
, we do not need
to give
you an answer
concerning
this
matter
.
" 1If it be so, our aGod
whom
we serve
is able
to deliver
us from the furnace
of blazing
fire
; 2and bHe will deliver
us out of your hand
, O king
.
" aBut even if He does not, blet it be known
to you, O king
, that we are not going to serve
your gods
or worship
the golden
image
that you have set
up."
Then Nebuchadnezzar
was filled
with awrath
, and his facial
expression
was altered
toward
Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
. He answered
1by giving
orders
to heat
the furnace
seven
times
more
than
it was usually
heated
.
He commanded certain
valiant
warriors
who
were in his army
to tie
up Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
in order to cast
them into the furnace
of blazing
fire
.
Then these
men
were tied
up in their 1 atrousers
, their 2coats
, their caps
and their other clothes
, and were cast
into the midst
of the furnace
of blazing
fire
.
For this reason
, because
the king's
1command
was 2 aurgent
and the furnace
had been made
extremely
hot
, the flame
of the fire
slew
those
men
who
carried
up Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
.
But these three
men
, Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
, afell
into the midst
of the furnace
of blazing
fire
still tied
up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar
the king
was astounded
and stood
up in haste
; he said
to his high
officials
, "Was it not three
men
we cast
bound
into the midst
of the fire
?" They replied
to the king
, "Certainly
, O king
."
He said, "Look
! I see
four
men
loosed
and awalking
about in the midst
of the fire
1without
harm
, and the appearance
of the fourth
is like
a son
of the bgods
!"
Then Nebuchadnezzar
came
near
to the door
of the furnace
of blazing
fire
; he responded
and said
, "Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
, come
out, you servants
of the aMost
High
God
, and come
here
!" Then
Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
bcame
out of the midst
of the fire
.
The asatraps, the prefects
, the governors
and the king's
high
officials
gathered
around
and saw
in regard to these
men
that the bfire
had
no
1effect
on 2the bodies
of these men nor
was the hair
of their head
singed
, nor
were their 3 ctrousers
4damaged
, nor
had the smell
of fire
even come
upon them.
Nebuchadnezzar responded
and said
, "Blessed
be the aGod
of Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
, who
has bsent
His angel
and delivered
His servants
who
put
their ctrust
in Him, 1violating
the king's
command
, and yielded
up their bodies
so
as dnot to serve
or worship
any
god
except
their own God
.
"Therefore I amake a decree
that any
people
, nation
or tongue
that speaks
anything offensive
against
the God
of bShadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
shall be torn
limb
from limb and their chouses
reduced
to a rubbish
heap
, inasmuch
as there
is dno
other
god
who
is able
to deliver
in this
way."
Then the king
acaused Shadrach
, Meshach
and Abed-nego
to prosper
in the province
of Babylon
.