Daniel
3
- King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold,
ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in
the province of Babylon.
- He then summoned the satraps, prefects,
governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial
officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.
- So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers,
treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled
for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they
stood before it.
- Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This
is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language:
- As soon as you hear the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down
and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
- Whoever does not fall down and worship will
immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
- Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound
of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples,
nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
- At this time some astrologers came forward
and denounced the Jews.
- They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O
king, live forever!
- You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone
who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all
kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold,
- and that whoever does not fall down and
worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace.
- But there are some Jews whom you have set
over the affairs of the province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
-- who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship
the image of gold you have set up."
- Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
- and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is
it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or
worship the image of gold I have set up?
- Now when you hear the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready
to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship
it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will
be able to rescue you from my hand?"
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to
the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before
you in this matter.
- If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,
the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your
hand, O king.
- But even if he does not, we want you to
know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold
you have set up."
- Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the
furnace heated seven times hotter than usual
- and commanded some of the strongest soldiers
in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the
blazing furnace.
- So these men, wearing their robes, trousers,
turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
- The king's command was so urgent and the
furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
- and these three men, firmly tied, fell into
the blazing furnace.
- Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet
in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we
tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."
- He said, "Look! I see four men walking
around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son
of the gods."
- Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening
of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego came out of the fire,
- and the satraps, prefects, governors and
royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed
their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched,
and there was no smell of fire on them.
- Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be
to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued
his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing
to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own
God.
- Therefore I decree that the people of any
nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble,
for no other god can save in this way."
- Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
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