3:1 In [his] eighteenth year Nabuchodonosor
the king made a golden image, its height was sixty cubits, its breadth six
cubits: and he set it up in the plain of Deira, in the province of Babylon.
3:2 And he sent forth to gather the governors, and the captains, and the
heads of provinces, chiefs, and princes, and those who were in authority,
and all the rulers of districts, to come to the dedication of he image.
3:3 So the heads of provinces, the governors, the captains, the chiefs, the
great princes, those who were in authority, and all the rulers of districts,
were gathered to the dedication of the image which king Nabuchodonosor had
set up; and they stood before the image.
3:4 Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, ye peoples, tribes,
[and] languages,
3:5 at what hour ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp,
and sackbut, and psaltery, and every kind of music, ye shall fall down and
worship the golden image which king Nabuchodonosor has set up.
3:6 And whosoever shall not fall down and worship, in the same hour he shall
be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
3:7 And it came to pass when the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, and
pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the
nations, tribes, [and] languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image
which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
3:8 Then came near [certain] Chaldeans, and accused the Jews to the king,
[saying],
3:9 O king, live for ever.
3:10 Thou, O king, has made a decree that every man who shall hear the sound
of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of
music,
3:11 and shall not fall down and worship the golden image, shall be cast
into the burning fiery furnace.
3:12 There are [certain] Jews whom thou has appointed over the affairs of
the province of Babylon, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, who have not
obeyed thy decree, O king: they serve not thy gods, and worship not the
golden image which thou hast set up.
3:13 Then Nabuchodonosor in wrath and anger commanded to bring Sedrach,
Misach, and Abdenago: and they were brought before the king.
3:14 And Nabuchodonosor answered and said to them, Is it true, Sedrach,
Misach, [and] Abdenago, that ye serve not my gods, and worship not the
golden image which I have set up?
3:15 Now then if ye be ready, whensoever ye shall hear the sound of the
trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and harmony, and
every kind of music, to fall down and worship the golden image which I have
made; [well]: but if ye worship not, in the same hour ye shall be cast into
the burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of
my hand?
3:16 Then answered Sedrach, Misach [and] Abdenago and said to king
Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer thee concerning this matter.
3:17 For our God whom we serve is in the heavens, able to deliver us from
the burning fiery furnace, and he will rescue us from thy hands, O king.
3:18 But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we [will] not serve thy
gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up.
3:19 Then Nabuchodonosor was filled with wrath, and the form of his
countenance was changed toward Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and he gave
orders to heat the furnace seven times [more than usual], until it should
burn to the uttermost.
3:20 And he commanded mighty men to bind Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and
to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
3:21 Then those men were bound with their coats, and caps, and hose, and
were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace,
3:22 forasmuch as the king's word prevailed; and the furnace was made
exceeding hot.
3:23 Then these three men, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell bound into
the midst of the burning furnace, and walked in the midst of the flame,
singing praise to God, and blessing the Lord.
3:24 And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing praises; and he wondered, and
rose up in haste, and said to his nobles, Did we not cast three men bound
into the midst of the fire? and they said to the king, Yes, O king.
3:25 And the king said, But I see four men loose, and walking in the midst
of the fire, and there has no harm happened to them; and the appearance of
the fourth is like the Son of God.
3:26 Then Nabuchodonosor drew near to the door of the burning fiery furnace,
and said, Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God,
proceed forth, and come hither. So Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, come
forth out of the midst of the fire.
3:27 Then were assembled the satraps, and captains, and heads of provinces,
and the royal princes; and they saw the men, [and perceived] that the fire
had not had power against their bodies, and the hair of their head was not
burnt, and their coats were not scorched, nor was the smell of fire upon
them.
3:28 And king Nabuchodonosor answered and said, Blessed be the God of
Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, who has sent his angel, and delivered his
servants, because they trusted in him; and they have changed the king's
word, and delivered their bodies to be burnt, that they might not serve nor
worship any god, except their own God.
3:29 Wherefore I publish a decree: Every people, tribe, [or] language, that
shall speak reproachfully against the God of Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago
shall be destroyed, and their houses shall be plundered: because there is no
other God who shall be able to deliver thus.
3:30 Then the king promoted Sedrach, Misach, [and] Abdenago, in the province
of Babylon, and advanced them, and gave them authority to rule over all the
Jews who were in his kingdom. |
3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of
gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six
cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the
governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors,
the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication
of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations,
and languages,
3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast
into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the
people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden
image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the
Jews.
3:9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the
sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all
kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the
province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king,
have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up.
3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image
which I have set up?
3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet,
flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye
fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship
not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery
furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was
changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and
commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was
wont to be heated.
3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery
furnace.
3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats,
and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery
furnace.
3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace
exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound
into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and
spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into
the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of
the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son
of God.
3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery
furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants
of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors,
being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no
power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats
changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants
that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their
bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language,
which speak any thing amiss 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 that can deliver after this sort.
3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province
of Babylon. |