Daniel 3:1-23 ▼

1 NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits; and he set it up in the plain of Dora, in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the generals of the armies, the lords, the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then all the generals of the armies, the lords, the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the new image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood up before the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

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

5 That at the hour when you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up;

6 And whosoever does not fall down and worship shall at the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

7 Therefore at the hour when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshipped the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 And at that very time certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews.

9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever!

10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who shall hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image which you have set up;

11 And whosoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded you; they do not serve your god, nor do they worship the golden image which you have set up.

13 Then King Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And they brought them before the king.

14 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king spoke and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my god nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if you are ready, at the time you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you do not worship, you shall at once be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is your god that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, There is no use to answer you concerning this matter;

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

18 Then the king shall know that we will not serve your god nor worship the golden image which you have set up.

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was filled with fury, and the countenance of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times more than it was customarily heated.

20 And he commanded some of the mighty men in the army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then the mighty men bound them in their trousers, their undergarments, their robes, and their hats, and cast them into the fiery furnace.

22 Because the king's command was hasty and the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flames of the fire killed those who had accused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. (And they rose up and walked bound in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the LORD.)