Daniel 3:8-30

8For this reason at that time certain 1Chaldeans came forward and 23brought charges against the Jews. 9They began to speak and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “4O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have 5made a decree that every person who hears the sound of the horn, flute, 6lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, is to 7fall down and worship the golden statue. 11But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the middle 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, nor do they worship the golden statue 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 began speaking and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve 10my gods, nor worship the golden statue 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 musical instruments, to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will 13immediately be 14thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and 15what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?”

1616Shadrach, 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 17God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; 18and 19He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 1820But even if He does not, 21let 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 22wrath, and his facial expression was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He answered 23by 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 24trousers, their 25coats, 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 26command was 27harsh 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, 28fell 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 29walking about in the middle of the fire 30unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the 31gods!” 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 32Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego 33came out of the middle of the fire. 27The 34satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the 35fire had no 36effect on 37the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor were their 3839trousers 40damaged, nor had even the smell of fire touched them.

28Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the 41God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has 42sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their 43trust in Him, 44violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies 45rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I 46make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of 47Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their 48houses made a rubbish heap, because there is 49no other god who is able to save in this way.” 30Then the king 50made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prosperous in the province of Babylon.