Daniel 3

The Golden Image

3King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.H5020H4430H5648H6755H1722H7314H8361H521H6613H8353H521H6966H1236H1757H4083H8952Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.H5020H4430H7972H3673H324H5460H6347H148H1411H1884H8614H3606H7984H4083H858H2597H6755H5020H4430H69663So the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up,H116H324H5460H6347H148H1411H1884H8614H3606H7984H4083H3673H2597H6755H5020H4430H6966H6966H6903H6755H5020H69664the herald proclaimed aloud, "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,H3744H7123H2429H560H5972H524H39615that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.H5732H8086H7032H7162H4953H7030H7030H5443H6460H5481H3606H2178H2170H5308H5457H1722H6755H5020H4430H69666Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire."H4479H5308H3809H5308H5457H8160H7412H1459H3345H5135H8617Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.H6903H1836H2166H1768H3606H5972H8086H7032H7162H4953H7030H7030H5443H6460H3606H2178H2170H3606H5972H524H3961H5308H5457H1722H6755H5020H4430H69668Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews.H6903H3606H1836H2166H1400H3779H7127H7170H399H30629They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever!H6032H560H4430H5020H4430H2418H595710You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue,H607H4430H7761H2942H3606H606H8086H7032H7162H4953H7030H7030H5443H6460H5481H5481H3606H2178H2170H5308H5457H1722H675511and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.H4479H5308H3809H5308H5457H7412H1459H3345H5135H86112There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O King. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up."H383H1400H3062H3487H4483H5922H5673H4083H895H7715H4336H5665H479H1400H4430H7761H3809H2942H5922H6399H3809H426H3809H5457H1722H6755H696613Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king.H116H5020H7266H2528H560H858H7715H4336H5665H116H858H479H1400H6925H443014Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up?H5020H6032H560H6656H7715H4336H5665H3809H383H6399H426H3809H5457H1722H6755H696615Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?"H3705H2006H383H6263H5732H8086H7032H7162H4953H7030H7030H5443H6460H5481H3606H2178H2170H5308H5457H6755H5648H2006H5457H3809H7412H8160H1459H3345H5135H861H4479H426H7804H4481H302816Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter.H7715H4336H5665H6032H560H4430H5020H586H3809H2818H8421H5922H1836H660017If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.H2006H426H586H6399H383H3202H7804H4481H3345H5135H861H4481H7804H4481H3028H443018But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up."H2006H3809H1934H3046H4430H383H3809H6399H426H3809H5457H1722H6755H6966

The Fiery Furnace

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary,H116H5020H4391H2528H6755H600H8133H5922H7715H4336H5665H6032H560H228H861H2298H7655H5922H1768H2370H22820and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the furnace of blazing fire.H560H2429H1401H1400H2429H3729H7715H4336H5665H7412H3345H5135H86121So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.H116H479H1400H3729H5622H6361H6361H3737H3831H7412H1459H3345H5135H86122Because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.H3606H6903H4481H1836H4430H4406H2685H861H3493H228H7631H5135H6992H479H1400H1994H5267H7715H4336H566523But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.H479H8532H1400H7715H4336H5665H5308H3729H1459H3345H5135H86124Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, "Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king."H116H5020H4430H8429H6966H927H6032H560H1907H3809H7412H8532H1400H3729H1459H5135H6032H560H4430H3330H443025He replied, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god."H6032H560H1888H576H2370H703H1400H8271H1981H1459H5135H383H3809H2257H7299H7244H1821H1247H42626Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.H116H5020H7127H8651H3345H5135H861H6032H560H7715H4336H5665H5649H5943H426H5312H858H116H7715H4336H5665H5312H4481H1459H513527And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them.H324H5460H6347H4430H1907H3673H2370H479H1400H1655H5135H3809H7981H3809H8177H7217H2761H3809H5622H8133H3809H7382H5135H570928Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.H5020H6032H560H1289H426H7715H4336H5665H7972H4398H7804H5649H7365H5922H8133H4430H4406H3052H1655H3809H6399H3809H5457H3606H426H3861H42629Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."H4481H7761H2942H3606H5972H524H3961H560H7960H7955H5922H426H7715H4336H5665H5648H1917H1005H7739H5122H6903H3606H383H3809H321H426H3202H5338H183630Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.H116H4430H6744H7715H4336H5665H4083H895