Daniel 3

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

² King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

³ Then the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

⁴ The herald proclaimed loudly, “This is what you are commanded to do, peoples, nations, and languages:

⁵ When you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

⁶ Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown at once into the blazing furnace.”

⁷ So at that moment, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, and every kind of music, they fell down. All the peoples, nations, and languages worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ At that time, some Chaldean men came forward and accused the Jews.

⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!

¹⁰ You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue.

¹¹ Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing furnace.”

¹² “There are some Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have paid no attention to you, O king. They do not serve your god or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious and enraged, ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. So those men were brought before the king.

¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up?

¹⁵ Now, if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you will not worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing furnace. And what god will rescue you from my hands?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you about this matter.

¹⁷ If that is so, our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the blazing furnace, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.

¹⁸ But even if he does not, know this, O king: we will not serve your god or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.

²⁰ He ordered some of the strongest men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

²¹ So those men were tied up in their trousers, tunics, caps, and other clothes, and thrown into the blazing furnace.

²² Because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, the flames killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

²³ Those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the blazing furnace, still tied up.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and sprang to his feet. He asked his counselors, “Didn't we throw three men into the fire, tied up?” They answered the king, “Certainly, O king.”

²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men, untied, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.

²⁷ The satraps, prefects, governors, and the king's counselors gathered around. They saw that the fire had not harmed the bodies of those men: not a hair on their heads was singed, their clothes were unchanged, and there was no smell of fire on them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants, who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king's command and gave up their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

²⁹ “Therefore I issue this decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn to pieces, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble, because there is no other god who can rescue like this.”

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

³¹ King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and languages living throughout the earth: May your peace abound!

³² It seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

³³ How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his rule lasts from generation to generation.

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