Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue

1Nebuchad-nezzar the King made an image of gold, whose height was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof sixe cubites: hee set it vp in the plaine of Dura, in the prouince of Babel. 2Then Nebuchad-nezzar ye King sent foorth to gather together the nobles, the princes and the dukes, the iudges, the receiuers, the counsellers, the officers, and all the gouernours of the prouinces, that they should come to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp. 3So the nobles, princes and dukes, the iudges, the receiuers, the counsellers, the officers, and all the gouernours of the prouinces were assembled vnto the dedicating of the image, that Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp: and they stood before the image, which Nebuchad-nezzar had set vp. 4Then an herald cried aloude, Be it knowen to you, O people, nations, and languages, 5That when ye heare the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, dulcimer, and all instruments of musike, ye fall downe and worship the golden image, that Nebuchad-nezzar the King hath set vp, 6And whosoeuer falleth not downe & worshippeth, shall the same houre bee cast into the middes of an hote fierie fornace. 7Therefore assoone as all the people heard the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, and all instruments of musike, all the people, nations, and languages fell downe, and worshipped the golden image, that Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Accused

8By reason whereof at that same time came men of the Caldeans, and grieuously accused the Iewes. 9For they spake and said to the King Nebuchad-nezzar, O King, liue for euer. 10Thou, O King, hast made a decree, that euery man that shall heare the sounde of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, and dulcimer, and all instruments of musike, shall fall downe and worship the golden image, 11And whosoeuer falleth not downe, and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the mids of an hote fierie fornace. 12There are certeine Iewes whome thou hast set ouer the charge of ye prouince of Babel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: these men, O King, haue not regarded thy commandement, neither wil they serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, that thou hast set vp.

13Then Nebuchad-nezzar in his anger and wrath commaunded that they should bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: so these men were brought before the King. 14And Nebuchad-nezzar spake, and said vnto them, What disorder? Will not you, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego serue my god, nor worship the golden image, that I haue set vp? 15Now therefore are ye ready when ye heare the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, sackebut, psalterie, and dulcimer, and all instruments of musike, to fall downe, and worship the image, which I haue made? For if ye worship it not, ye shall be cast immediately into the middes of an hote fierie fornace: for who is that God, that can deliuer you out of mine handes?

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, O Nebuchad-nezzar, we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter. 17Beholde, our God whom we serue, is able to deliuer vs from the hote fierie fornace, and hee will deliuer vs out of thine hand, O King. 18But if not, bee it knowen to thee, O King, that wee will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set vp.

The Fiery Furnace

19Then was Nebuchad-nezzar full of rage, and the forme of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore hee charged and commaunded that they should heate the fornace at once seuen times more then it was wont to be heat. 20And hee charged the most valiant men of warre that were in his armie, to binde Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the hote fierie fornace. 21So these men were bounde in their coates, their hosen, and their clokes, with their other garments, and cast into the middes of the hote fierie fornace. 22Therefore, because the Kings commaundement was straite, that the fornace should be exceeding hote, the flame of the fire slew those men that brought foorth Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 23And these three men Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell downe bound into the middes of the hote fierie fornace. (3:24) And they walked in the middes of the flame, praising God, & magnified the Lord.(3:25) Then Azarias stoode vp, & praied on this maner, and opening his mouth in ye mids of the fire, saide,(3:26) Blessed be thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy Name is worthie to bee praised and honoured for euermore.(3:27) For thou art righteous in all the things, that thou hast done vnto vs, and all thy works are true, and thy waies are right, and all thy iudgementes certeine.(3:28) In all the things that thou hast brought vpon vs, and vpon Ierusalem, the holy citie of our fathers, thou hast executed true iudgementes: for by right and equitie hast thou brought all these things vpon vs, because of our sinnes.(3:29) For we haue sinned and done wickedly, departing from thee: in all things haue we trespassed,(3:30) And not obeied thy commaundements, nor kept them, neither done as thou haddest commanded vs, that we might prosper.(3:31) Wherefore in all that thou hast broughtvpon vs, and in euery thing that thou hast done to vs, thou hast done them in true iudgement:(3:32) As in deliuering vs into the handes of our wicked enemies, and most hatefull traitours, and to an vnrighteous King, and the most wicked in all the worlde.(3:33) And nowe we may not open our mouthes: we are become a shame and reproofe vnto thy seruants, and to them that worship thee.(3:34) Yet for thy names sake, we beseech thee, giue vs not vp for euer, neither breake thy couenant,(3:35) Neither take away thy mercie from vs, for thy beloued Abrahams sake, and for thy seruant Isaacs sake, and for thine holy Israels sake,(3:36) To whome thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiplie their seed as ye starres of heauen, & as the sand, that is vpon the sea shore.(3:37) For we, O Lorde, are become lesse then any nation, and be kept vnder this day in all the world, because of our sinnes:(3:38) So that now we haue neither prince, nor prophet, nor gouernour, nor burnt offering, nor sacrifice, nor oblation, nor incense, nor place to offer ye first fruits before thee, that we might finde mercie.(3:39) Neuerthelesse in a contrite heart, & an humble spirit, let vs be receiued.(3:40) As in the burnt offring of rams & bullocks, and as in ten thousand of fat lambes, so let our offring be in thy sight this daye, that it may please thee: for there is no confusion vnto them that put their trust in thee.(3:41) And now we follow thee with all our heart, and feare thee, and seeke thy face.(3:42) Put vs not to shame, but deale with vs after thy louing kindenesse, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.(3:43) Deliuer vs also by thy miracles, and giue thy Name the glory, O Lord,(3:44) That all they which doe thy seruantes euill, may be confounded: euen let them bee confounded by thy great force and power, and let their strength be broken,(3:45) That they may know, that thou only art the Lord God, and glorious ouer the whole worlde.(3:46) Now the kings seruants that had cast them in, ceased not to make the ouen hote with naphtha, and with pitch, and with towe, & with fagots,(3:47) So that the flame went out of the fornace fourtie and nine cubites.(3:48) And it brake forth, and burnt those Chaldeans, that it found by the fornace.(3:49) But the Angel of the Lord went downe into the fornace with them that were with Azarias, and smote the flame of the fire out of the fornace,(3:50) And made in the middes of the fornace like a moyst hissing winde, so that the fire touched the not at all, neither grieued, nor troubled them.(3:51) Then these three (as out of one mouth) praised, and glorified, and blessed God in the fornace, saying,(3:52) Blessed be thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praysed, & exalted aboue all things for euer, & blessed be thy glorious & holy Name, and praysed aboue all things, and magnified for euer.(3:53) Blessed be thou in the Temple of thine holy glory, and praysed aboue all thinges, and exalted for euer.(3:54) Blessed be thou that beholdest the depthes, and sittest vpon the Cherubins, and praysed aboue all things, and exalted for euer.(3:55) Blessed be thou in the glorious Throne of thy kingdome, and praysed aboue all things, and exalted for euer.(3:56) Blessed be thou in the firmament of heauen, & praysed aboue all things, & glorified for euer.(3:57) All ye works of the Lord, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:58) O heauens, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:59) O Angels of the Lorde, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:60) Al ye waters that be aboue the heauen, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:61) All ye powers of the Lord, blesse ye ye Lord: prayse him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:62) O sunne & moone, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:63) O starres of heauen, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:64) Euery showre and dewe, blesse ye the Lorde: praise him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:65) All ye windes, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:66) O fire & heate, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:67) O winter & sommer, blesse ye ye Lord: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:68) O dewes and stormes of snowe, blesse yee the Lord: prayse him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:69) O frost and colde, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:70) O yee & snow, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:71) O nights & dayes, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:72) O light and darkenesse, blesse ye the Lorde: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:73) O lightnings & cloudes, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:74) Let the earth blesse the Lorde: let it prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:75) O mountaines, & hilles, blesse ye the Lorde: praise him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:76) All things that growe on the earth, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue al things for euer.(3:77) O fountaines, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:78) O sea, and floods, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:79) O whales, and all that moue in the waters, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:80) All ye foules of heauen, blesse ye the Lorde: praise him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:81) All ye beastes and cattel, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:82) O children of men, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:83) Let Israel blesse the Lord, praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:84) O Priestes of the Lorde, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:85) O seruants of the Lord, blesse ye the Lorde: praise him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer.(3:86) O spirites and soules of the righteous, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all things for euer(3:87) O Saintes and humble of heart, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and exalt him aboue all thinges for euer.(3:88) O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, & exalt him aboue all things for euer: for he hath deliuered vs from the hel, & saued vs from the hand of death, and deliuered vs out of the middes of the fornace, and burning flame: euen out of the middes of the fire hath he deliuered vs.(3:89) Confesse vnto the Lord, that he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for euer.(3:90) All ye that worship the Lord, blesse the God of gods: prayse him, and acknowledge him: for his mercy endureth worlde without ende.

24Then Nebuchad-nezzar the King was astonied and rose vp in haste, and spake, and saide vnto his counsellers, Did not wee cast three men bound into the middes of the fire? Who answered and said vnto the King, It is true, O King. 25And he answered, and said, Loe, I see foure men loose, walking in the middes of the fire, and they haue no hurt, and the forme of the fourth is like the sonne of God. 26Then the King Nebuchad-nezzar came neere to the mouth of the hote fierie fornace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the seruants of the hie God goe foorth and come hither: so Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego came foorth of the middes of the fire. 27Then the nobles, princes and dukes, and the Kings counsellers came together to see these men, because the fire had no power ouer their bodies: for not an heare of their head was burnt, neither was their coates changed, nor any smell of fire came vpon them.

28Wherefore Nebuchad-nezzar spake & said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his Angel, and deliuered his seruants, that put their trust in him, and haue changed the Kings commaundement, and yeelded their bodies rather then they would serue or worship any god, saue their owne God. 29Therefore I make a decree, that euery people, nation, and language, which speake any blasphemie against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, shalbe drawen in pieces, and their houses shall be made a iakes, because there is no god that can deliuer after this sort. 30Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the prouince of Babel.