Daniel 3:1-25 ▼

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold; its height sixty cubits, and its breadth six cubits: he set it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babel.

2 And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together to the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, those skilled in law, the lawyers, and all the rulers of the provinces, to the drinking to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.

3 At that time there being gathered together the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, those skilled in law, the lawyers and all the rulers of the provinces, to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up; and standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar set up.

4 And a herald called with strength, To you they say, O peoples, nations, and tongues,

5 In the time ye shall hear the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, ye shall fall and prostrate yourselves to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.

6 And whoever shall not fall and prostrate himself in the same moment, he shall be cast into a furnace of flaming fire.

7 For this cause in that time that all peoples heard the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, and all sorts of music, all peoples, nations, and tongues, fell prostrating themselves to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.

8 For this cause, at that time men of the Chaldeans drew near and ate up the Jews piece meal.

9 They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live forever.

10 Thou, O king, didst set an edict, that every man that shall hear the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery and the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, shall fall and prostrate himself to the image of gold:

11 And whoever shall not fall and prostrate himself shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of flaming fire.

12 There are men, Jews, that thou didst appoint over the business of the province of Babel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men set not an account to thee, O king: they served not to thy gods; and to the image of gold that thou didst set up they prostrated themselves not.

13 At that time Nebuchadnezzar in anger and wrath, said to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then they brought these men before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it on purpose O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed Nego, ye not serving to my gods, and to the image of gold that I set up, ye not prostrating yourselves?

15 Now if ye being prepared that in the time that ye shall hear the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, and the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, ye shall fall and prostrate yourselves to the image that I made; and if ye shall not prostrate yourselves in the same moment, ye shall be cast into the midst of the furnace of flaming fire; and who that God that shall deliver you from my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego answered, and saying to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we need not to turn back to thee upon this word.

17 If it is, our God whom we served will be able to deliver us from the furnace of flaming fire, and from thy hand, O king, he will deliver us.

18 And if not, it shall be made known to thee, O king, that to thy gods we serve not, and to the image of gold that thou didst set up we will not prostrate ourselves:

19 In that time Nebuchadnezzar being filled with wrath, and the form of the visage was changed to him against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego: he answered and said to heat to the furnace one seven times above that it was seen to be heated.

20 To the strong, the strong of strength that were in his army, he said to bind to Shadrach, Mesbach, and Abed-Nego, to cast into the furnace of flaming fire.

21 Then these men were bound in their wide trowsers, their tunics, and their mantles, and their clothing, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of flaming fire.

22 For this cause, as the word of the king being severe, and the furnace exceedingly heated, these men that took up to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, the flame of fire killed them.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of flaming fire, bound.

24 At that time Nebuchadnezzar the king was grieved, and rose up in haste; he answered and said to the counselors, Did we not cast three men into the midst of the fire, bound? They answering and saying to the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose going about in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them: and the aspect of the fourth like to the Son of God.