Daniel 2:31–3:18

31 “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. 32 yThis image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and 2thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of 3clay. 34 You watched while a stone was cut out zwithout hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 aThen the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became blike chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that cno trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image dbecame a great mountain eand filled the whole earth.

36 “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 fYou, O king, are a king of kings. gFor the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 hand wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—iyou are this head of gold. 39 But after you shall arise janother kingdom kinferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And lthe fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, mso the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly 4fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings nthe God of heaven will set up a kingdom owhich shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; pit shall 5break in pieces and 6consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 qInasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Daniel and His Friends Promoted

46 rThen King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering sand incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly tyour God is the God of ugods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” 48 vThen the king promoted Daniel wand gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and xchief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Also Daniel petitioned the king, yand he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel zsat in 7the gate of the king.

The Image of Gold

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was 1sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried 2aloud: “To you it is commanded, aO peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall bbe cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans ccame forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, d“O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 eThere are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have fnot paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in grage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, hgood! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. iAnd who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, jwe have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our kGod whom we serve is able to ldeliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we mworship the gold image which you have set up.”