The Prophet Daniel

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue. It was twenty-seven meters tall and three meters wide. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

Then he sent messages to all the provincial governors, the regional governors, and the local governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the high officials of the provinces. He told them to come to celebrate the new statue that he had set up to honor the god that it represented.

When they all arrived, they were all standing in front of that statue.

A person on the royal staff shouted out the king’s new law to everyone, “You people who come from many countries and who speak many languages, listen to what the king has commanded!

When you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, and other flutes, and all the music they will play, you must lie down on the ground and honor the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has put up.

Anyone who refuses to do that will be thrown into a blazing fire.”

So all those people who had gathered from the many people and nations, who were speaking various languages, when they heard the instruments play, they laid themselves down on the ground and gave their worship and said words of praise to the statue.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Accused

But some Chaldeans went to the king.

They reported to him, “O king, may you never die!

You decreed that every person who hears the sound of those instruments should lie down on the ground and honor the golden statue.

You also decreed that anyone refusing to do that would be thrown into a blazing fire.

There are some men from Judah that you appointed to be officials in the province of Babylon who have paid no attention to your decree. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They have refused to worship your gods and the golden statue that you have set up.”

When he heard this, Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He commanded his soldiers to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought them to the king.

Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Have you decided that you will not worship my gods or the golden statue that I have set up?

I will give you one more chance. If you bow down to worship the statue that I have set up when you hear the sounds of the musical instruments, fine. But if you refuse, you will be thrown into a blazing fire. Then who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend our actions to you in this matter.

If we are thrown into a fire, the God we worship is able to rescue us. He has the power to rescue us from you.

But even if he does not rescue us, we will not worship your gods, and we will never honor the statue you have set up.”

The Fiery Furnace

Then Nebuchadnezzar became extremely angry. His face showed great rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders that the fire should be made seven times hotter than usual.

After that was done, he ordered some of his strongest soldiers to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and then to throw them into the blazing fire.

When the soldiers tied them up and threw them into the furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were wearing their robes, their tunics, their turbans, and their other clothes.

Because the king’s orders were given when he was so angry and were to be followed without any delay, and because the fire was so hot, the flames leaped out of the blaze and killed the soldiers that took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego up into the fire.

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, tied up, fell into the burning flames of the fire.

But as Nebuchadnezzar was watching, he was shocked. He jumped up and shouted to his advisors, “Did we tie up three men and throw them into the flames?” They replied, “Yes, O king, we did.”

Nebuchadnezzar shouted, “Look! I see four men in the fire! They are not tied with ropes and they are walking around and the flames are not hurting them! The fourth man is shining like a son of the gods!”

Nebuchadnezzar came closer to the edge of the blazing fire and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you who worship the Most High God, come out of there! Come here!” So they came out and away from the fire.

Then all the king’s officials saw them when they came out of the fire. The flames had not harmed them. Not even the hair on their heads was singed, and none of their clothing was scorched. There was not even any smell of smoke on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “We must all praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent one of his messengers to rescue these three men who worship him and trust in him. They ignored the king’s command and refused to worship any other god but their own God, even if it cost them their lives.

Therefore I am now making this decree: ‘If any people from any nation, or those who speak any language, say anything against the God who is worshiped by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn to pieces and their houses will be torn down and made into piles of garbage. This decree is made because there is no other god who can rescue people like this!’”

Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego positions of greater importance within the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits(a) and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, 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.

Then the local governors, 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.

Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages,

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.

Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace the same hour.”

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.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Accused

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and brought accusation against the Jews.

They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever!

You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image;

and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.

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 respected you. They don’t serve your gods, and don’t worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and you don’t worship the golden image which I have set up?

Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

If it happens, 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.

But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

The Fiery Furnace

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

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.

Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.

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 middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.”

He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.(b)”

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 out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire.

The local governors, 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. The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their pants weren’t changed. The smell of fire wasn’t even on them.

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.

Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything evil 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 like this.”

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

Footnotes

(a)3:1 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

(b)3:25 Or, the Son of God.