Daniel 3

1King Nebuchadnezzar had a statue of gold made, sixty cubits tall and six cubits across, and he erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

2King Nebuchadnezzar then sent out a summons to gather the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the provincial officials, so that they would come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

3Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the provincial officials gathered for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4The herald shouted with all his strength, “Peoples, nations, and people of every language, here is your order:

5At the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

6Whoever does not fall down and worship will at that very moment be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.”

7Because of this, the instant all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and people of every language fell down and worshiped the statue of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8For this reason, at that time some Chaldean men came forward and maliciously denounced the Jews.

9They spoke up and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!

10You, O king, gave an order that every person who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the statue of gold,

11and whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.

12There are certain Jewish men you placed in charge of the work of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have shown you no regard, O king. Your gods they do not serve, and the statue of gold you have set up they do not worship.”

13Nebuchadnezzar, angry and seething, then gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and these men were brought in before the king.

14Nebuchadnezzar spoke to them: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it deliberate that you do not serve my gods and do not worship the statue of gold that I have set up?

15Now then, if you are prepared, at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the statue I have made—very well. But if you will not worship, you will be thrown at that very moment into the furnace of blazing fire. And what god is there who could rescue you out of my hands?”

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you any reply about this.

17If that is so, our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and out of your hand, O king, he will rescue us.

18And if not, let it be clear to you, O king, that your gods we will not serve, and the statue of gold that you have set up we will not worship.”

19At this Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the look on his face turned against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was normally heated.

20He told certain powerful warriors in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and hurl them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21So these men were bound as they were, in their cloaks, their shirts, their caps, and their other garments, and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.

22Since the king’s order was so severe and the furnace had been heated beyond measure, the blaze of the fire killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego up.

23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell, still bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.

24Then King Nebuchadnezzar, stunned, sprang up in alarm and said to his advisers, “Was it not three men we threw bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “That is so, O king.”

25He said, “Look, I see four men loose and walking about inside the fire, with no harm on them, and the fourth has the appearance of a son of the gods.”

26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the furnace of blazing fire and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, step out and come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the middle of the fire.

27The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s advisers crowded around and saw these men: the fire had had no power over their bodies, the hair on their heads was not singed, their cloaks were unchanged, and not even the smell of fire clung to them.

28Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants, who put their trust in him. They set aside the king’s order and handed over their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god but their own God.

29So I issue this order: any people, nation, or language that says anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be hacked to pieces, and its houses will be made a heap of rubble, since no other god exists who can save like this.”

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