Daniel 3:13-30

13Then Nebuchadnezzar in 1rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar began speaking and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve 2my gods, nor worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready, 3at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, 4lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will 5immediately be 6thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and 7what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?”

168Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we are not in need of an answer to give you concerning this matter. 17If it be so, our 9God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; 10and 11He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 1812But even if He does not, 13let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with 14wrath, and his facial expression was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He answered 15by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20And he ordered certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in order to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21Then these men were tied up in their 16trousers, their 17coats, their caps, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire. 22For this reason, because the king’s 18command was 19harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 20fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” 25He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and 21walking about in the middle of the fire 22unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the 23gods!” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the 24Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego 25came out of the middle of the fire. 27The 26satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the 27fire had no 28effect on 29the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor were their 3031trousers 32damaged, nor had even the smell of fire touched them.

28Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the 33God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has 34sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their 35trust in Him, 36violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies 37rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I 38make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of 39Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their 40houses made a rubbish heap, because there is 41no other god who is able to save in this way.” 30Then the king 42made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prosperous in the province of Babylon.