Daniel 3:8-30

8For this reason at that time certain 1Chaldeans came forward and 23brought charges against the Jews. 9They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “4O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have 5made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, 6lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to 7fall down and worship the golden image. 11But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12There are certain Jews whom you have 8appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

13Then Nebuchadnezzar in 9rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve 10my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready, 11at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, 12lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will 13immediately be 14cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and 15what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

1616Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 1717If it be so, our 18God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; 19and 20He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 1821But even if He does not, 22let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with 23wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered 24by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21Then these men were tied up in their 2526trousers, their 27coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 22For this reason, because the king’s 28command was 2930urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. 23But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, 31fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” 25He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and 32walking about in the midst of the fire 33without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the 34gods!” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the 35Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego 36came out of the midst of the fire. 27The 37satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the 38fire had no 39effect on 40the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their 4142trousers 43damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the 44God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has 45sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their 46trust in Him, 47violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as 48not to serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I 49make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of 50Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their 51houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is 52no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” 30Then the king 53caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.