THE BOOK OF DANIEL

 

Daniel Chapter 3

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

2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent men to gather together the princes, governors, captains, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and all the other officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together to dedicate the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood in front of the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

5 That when you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and any other kind of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up:

6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will the same hour be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.

7 Therefore when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and other kinds of music, people of every nation and language, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 ¶ When that happened certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

9 They spoke and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and other kinds of music, must fall down and worship the golden image:

11 And whoever does not fall down and worship, is to be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

12 There are certain Jews whom you have placed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, pay no attention to you: they do not serve your gods, or worship the golden image that you have set up.

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded men to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought these men before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar then asked them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods, or worship the golden image that I have set up?

15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and other kinds of music; fall down and worship the image which I have made: but if you do not worship it, you will be thrown the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you from my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer to this question.

17 If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, he will deliver us from of your hand, O king.

18 But if not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods, or worship the golden image which you have set up.

19 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar became furious, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: and he commanded them to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was usually heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their tunics, their turbans, and their other garments, and were thrown into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 And because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace so extremely hot, the flaming fire killed those men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 And those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and got up quickly, and said to his counselors, Didn’t we throw three men who were tied up into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Look, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth looks like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the most high God, come out, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came out of the midst of the fire.

27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counselors, gathered around, and saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these three men, nor was a hair of their head singed, or their clothing burned, or the smell of fire on them.

28 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his messenger, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and defied the king’s command, risking their lives, so that they might not serve or worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That people of any nation and language, who say any thing bad about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will be cut in pieces, and their houses will be made a dunghill: because there is no other God who can save in this way.

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