1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an A1 Kin 12:28; Is 46:6; Jer 16:20; Dan 2:31; Hos 2:8; 8:4; Hab 2:19image of gold, the height of which was sixty 1I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.cubits and its width six 1I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the BDan 2:48; 3:30province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the ADan 3:3, 27; 6:1-7satraps, 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. 3 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. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you 1Lit they commandthe command is given, ADan 3:7; 4:1; 6:25O peoples, nations and men of every 2Lit tonguelanguage, 5 that at the moment you ADan 3:7, 10, 15hear the sound of the horn, flute, 1Or zitherlyre, 2I.e. triangular lyretrigon, 3Or a type of harppsaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6  “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall 1Or in the same hourimmediately be ADan 3:11, 15, 21; 6:7cast into the midst of a BJer 29:22; Ezek 22:18-22; Matt 13:42, 50; Rev 9:2; 14:11furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, 1V 5, notes 1, 2, 3lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every 2Lit tonguelanguage fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 For this reason at that time certain ADan 2:2, 10; 4:7Chaldeans came forward and 1Lit ate the pieces ofBEzra 4:12-16; Esth 3:8, 9; Dan 6:12, 13brought charges against the Jews. 9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “ADan 2:4; 5:10; 6:6, 21O king, live forever! 10  “You, O king, have AEsth 3:12-14; Dan 3:4-6; 6:12made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, 1V 5, notes 1, 2, 3lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to BDan 3:5, 7, 15fall down and worship the golden image. 11  “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12  “There are certain Jews whom you have ADan 2:49appointed 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.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in ADan 2:12; 3:19rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve AIs 46:1; Jer 50:2; Dan 3:1; 4:8my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15  “Now if you are ready, ADan 3:5at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, 1V 5, notes 1, 2, 3lyre, 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 2Or in the same hourimmediately be BDan 3:6cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and CEx 5:2; Is 36:18-20; Dan 2:47what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

16 ADan 1:7; 3:12Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17  “1Or If our God...is ableIf it be so, our AJob 5:19; Ps 27:1, 2; Is 26:3, 4; Jer 1:8; 15:20, 21God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; 2Or thenand B1 Sam 17:37; Mic 7:7; 2 Cor 1:10He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18  “AJosh 24:15; 1 Kin 19:14, 18; Is 51:12, 13; Dan 3:28But even if He does not, BHeb 11:25let 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.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with AEsth 7:7; Dan 3:13wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered 1Lit and ordered toby giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 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. 21 Then these men were tied up in their 1Or leggingsADan 3:27trousers, their 2Or cloakscoats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 For this reason, because the king’s 1Lit wordcommand was 2Or harshAEx 12:33; Dan 2:15urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, AIs 43:2fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24 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.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and APs 91:3-9; Is 43:2walking about in the midst of the fire 1Lit there is no injury in themwithout harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the BJer 1:8, 19; 15:21gods!” 26 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 ADan 3:17; 4:2Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego BDeut 4:20; 1 Kin 8:51; Jer 11:4came out of the midst of the fire. 27 The ADan 3:2, 3satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the BIs 43:2; Heb 11:34fire had no 1Lit power overeffect on 2Lit theirthe bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their 3Or cloaksCDan 3:21trousers 4Lit changeddamaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the ADan 2:47; 3:15-17God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has BPs 34:7, 8; Is 37:36; Dan 3:25; 6:22; Acts 5:19; 12:7sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their CPs 22:4, 5; 40:4; 84:12; Is 12:2; 26:3, 4; 50:10; Jer 17:7trust in Him, 1Lit and changed the king’s wordviolating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as DDan 3:16-18not to serve or worship any god except their own God. 29  “Therefore I ADan 6:26make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of BDan 1:7, 19; 2:17, 49; 3:12Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their CEzra 6:11; Dan 2:5houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is DDan 2:47; 3:15no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” 30 Then the king ADan 2:49; 3:12caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.