1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was
sixty cubits, and the breadth of it six cubits: he set it up in the plain of
Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to
gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the
treasurers, the counselors, 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 the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the
judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of
the provinces, were gathered together to the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is
commanded, peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that whenever you hear
the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of
music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king has set up; 6 and whoever doesn’t fall down and worships shall
the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the
peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden
image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 8 Therefore at that time
certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews.
9 They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live for ever. 10 You,
O king, have made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall
down and worship the golden image; 11 and whoever doesn’t 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 don’t serve your gods, nor worship the golden image
which you have set up. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury
commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these
men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered them, Is it on purpose,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my god, nor
worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready
whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipe, and all kinds of music to you fall down and worship the image
which I have made, well: but if you don’t worship, you
shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and
who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to
answer you in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve
is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us
out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that
we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set
up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage
was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he
spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than
it was wont to be heated. 20 He commanded certain mighty men who were in
his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them
into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their
pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and
were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore
because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the
flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. 23 These 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 rose up in haste: he spoke and said to his
counselors, Didn’t we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They
answered the king, True, O king. 25 He answered, Look, I see four men
loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the
aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar
came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spoke and said,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come
forth, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth out of
the midst of the fire. 27 The satraps, the deputies, and the governors,
and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the
fire had no power on their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed,
neither were their pants changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted
in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that
they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language,
which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill;
because there is no other god who is able to deliver after this sort.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province
of Babylon.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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