CHAPTER 3
1 Nebuchadnezzar, the king, made a golden image, in the height of sixty cubits, and in the breadth of six cubits; and he setted it in the field of Dura, of the province of Babylon.
2 Therefore Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather together the wise men, magistrates, and judges, and dukes, and tyrants, [or strong men], and prefects, and all princes of countries, that they should come together to the hallowing of the image which the king Nebuchadnezzar had raised [up].
3 Then the wise men, magistrates, and judges, and dukes, and tyrants, or strong men, and best men that were set in powers, and all the princes of countries were gathered together, that they should come together to the hallowing of the image, which the king Nebuchadnezzar had raised [up]. Forsooth they stood in the sight of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar had set up;
4 and a beadle cried mightily, it is said to you, peoples, kindreds, and languages;
5 in the hour in which ye hear the sound of trump, and of pipe, and of harp, of sambuca, and of psaltery, and of symphony, and of all kind of musics, fall ye down, and worship the golden image which the king Nebu-chadnezzar made.
6 Soothly if any man falleth not down, and worshippeth not, in the same hour he shall be sent into a furnace of fire burning.
7 Therefore after these things, anon as all peoples heard the sound of trump, and of pipe, and of harp, of sambuca, and of psaltery or lyre, of symphony, and of all kind of musics, all peoples, lineages, and languages fell down, and worshipped the golden image which the king Nebuchadnezzar had made.
8 And anon in that time men of Chaldea nighed, and accused the Jews,
9 and said to the king Nebuchad-nezzar, King, live thou without end.
10 Thou, king, hast set a decree, that each man that heareth the sound of trump, of pipe, and of harp, of sambuca, and of psaltery, and of symphony, and of all kind of musics, bow down himself, and worship the golden image;
11 forsooth if any man falleth not down, and worshippeth not, be he sent into the furnace of fire burning.
12 Therefore men Jews be, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which thou hast ordained on the works of the country of Babylon. Thou king, these men have despised thy decree; they honour not thy gods, and they worship not the golden image, which thou raisedest.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded, in strong vengeance and in wrath, that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should be brought; which were brought anon in the sight of the king.
14 And the king Nebuchadnezzar pronounced, and said to them, whether verily Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye honour not my gods, and worship not the golden image which I made?
15 Now therefore be ye ready, in whatever hour ye hear the sound of trump, of pipe, of harp, of sambuca, of psaltery, and of symphony, and of all kind of musics, bow ye down you, and worship the image which I made; that if ye worship not, in the same hour ye shall be sent into the furnace of fire burning; and who is God that shall deliver you from mine hand?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, It needeth not, that we answer of this thing to thee.
17 For why our God, whom we worship, may ravish us from the chimney of fire burning, and may deliver from thine hands, thou king.
18 That if he do not, be it known to thee, thou king, that we honour not thy gods, and we worship not the golden image which thou hast raised.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with strong vengeance, and the beholding of his face was changed on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he commanded that the furnace should be made hotter sevenfold than that it was wont to be made hot.
20 And he commanded to the strongest men of his host that they should bind the feet of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and send them into the furnace of fire burning.
21 And anon those men were bound, with breeches, and caps, and shoes, and clothes, and were sent into the midst of the furnace of fire burning;
22 for why the commandment of the king constrained. Forsooth the furnace was made full hot; certainly the flame of the fire killed those men that had sent Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace.
23 Soothly these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound in the midst of the chimney of fire burning.
24 Then king Nebuchadnezzar was astonied, and rose hastily, and said to his best men, whether we sent not three men fettered into the midst of the fire? Which answered the king, and said, Verily, king.
25 The king answered, and said, lo! I see four men unbound, and going in the midst of the fire, and nothing of corruption is in them; and the likeness of the fourth is like the son of God.
26 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar nighed to the door of the furnace of fire burning, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the servants of high God living [or of high living God], go ye out, and come ye. And anon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went out of the midst of the fire.
27 And the wise men, and magistrates, and judges, and mighty men of the king were gathered together, and beheld those men, for the fire had nothing of power in the bodies of them, and an hair of their head was not burnt; also the breeches of them were not changed, and the odour of fire had not passed by them.
28 And Nebuchadnezzar brake out, and said, blessed be the God of them, that is, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that sent his angel, and delivered his servants that believed into him, and changed the word of the king, and gave their bodies, that they should not serve, and that they should not worship any god, except their God alone.
29 Therefore this decree is set of me, that each people, and languages, and lineages, whoever speaketh blasphemy against God of Shadrach, of Meshach, and of Abednego, perish, and his house be destroyed; for none other is God that may save so.
30 Then the king advanced Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon; and sent into all the land an epistle, containing these words.