Daniel 3:3–30

^3ggThen the princes, the governors and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, 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. ⁴Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, ^hO people, nations, and languages, ⁵that at what time ⁱye hear ^jthe sound of ^kthe cornet, ^lflute, ^lmharp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ⁿye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: ⁶and whoso ⁿfalleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour ^obe cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^7pTherefore at that time, when all the people heard ^jthe sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all ^hthe people, the nations, and the languages, ⁿfell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

^8pWherefore at that time certain ^qChaldeans ^rcame near, and ^saccused the Jews. ⁹They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, ^tO king, live for ever. ¹⁰Thou, O king, ^uhast made a decree, that every man that shall hear ^jthe sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ⁿshall fall down and worship the golden image: ¹¹and whoso ⁿfalleth not down and worshippeth, that ^ohe should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ¹²There are certain Jews whom ^vthou hast set over the affairs of ^cthe province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor ⁿworship the golden image which thou hast set up.

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring ^vShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O ^vShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor ⁿworship the golden image which I have set up? ¹⁵Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear ^jthe sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ⁿye fall down and worship the image which I have made; ^xwell: but if ye worship not, ^oye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and ^ywho is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? ^16vShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not ^zcareful to ^aanswer thee in this matter. ¹⁷If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and ^bhe will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. ¹⁸But 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.

¹⁹Then was Nebuchadnezzar ^cfull of fury, and the form of ^dhis visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat. ²⁰And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹Then these men were bound in their ^ecoats, their hosen, and their ^fhats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²²Therefore because the king’s commandment was ^gurgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, ^hthe flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. ²³And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace ⁱ.

²⁴Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up ^kin haste, and spake, and said unto his ^lcounsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. ²⁵He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, ^mwalking in the midst of the fire, and ⁿthey have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like ^othe Son of God. ²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of ^pthe most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ^qcame forth of the midst of the fire. ²⁷And ^rthe princes, ^rgovernors, and ^rcaptains, and the king’s ^lcounsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, ^supon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their ^ecoats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. ²⁸Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ^twho hath sent ^ouhis angel, and ^udelivered his servants ^vthat trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, ^wexcept their own God. ²⁹Therefore ^xI make a decree, That every ^ypeople, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ^zshall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: ^abecause ^bthere is no other God that can deliver after this sort. ³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ^cin the province of Babylon.

IV.