The Faithfulness of Three Young Israelites and God’s Deliverance

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made a statue of gold. Its height was sixty cubits and its width was six cubits; he set it up in the valley of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent directions to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all of the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the province were assembled for the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, and were standing ⌊before⌋a the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald proclaimed ⌊aloud⌋,b “To you ⌊it is commanded⌋,c O peoples, ⌊nations and people of all languages⌋,d 5 that at the time that you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, the drum and all kinds of music, you must fall down and you must worship the statue of golde that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 And ⌊whoever⌋f does not fall down and worship will be thrown ⌊immediately⌋g into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.” 7 ⌊Therefore⌋,h ⌊at that time⌋,i ⌊as soon as⌋j all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, ⌊the nations and people of all languages⌋k were falling down and were worshiping the statue of goldl that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 ⌊Therefore⌋m ⌊at this time⌋n some ⌊astrologers⌋o came forward and ⌊they denounced the Jews⌋.p 9 ⌊They responded and said⌋q to Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, may you live ⌊forever⌋!r 10 You, O king, have made a decree that ⌊everyone⌋s who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp and the drum and all kinds of music, he shall fall down and shall worship the statue of gold.t 11 ⌊And whoever⌋u ⌊does not fall down⌋v and worship shall be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 12 However there are Judean men whom you have appointedw over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—these men, O king, ⌊pay you no heed⌋x and were not serving your god, and the statue of goldy that you set up they are not worshiping.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar said in rage and anger to bring in Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; then they brought in these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you are not serving my god, and you are not worshiping the statue of goldz that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready so that ⌊when⌋a you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp and the drum and all kinds of music, you fall down and you worship the statue that I have made, that will be good. But if you do not worship it, ⌊immediately⌋b you will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and ⌊who is the god⌋c whod will rescue you from my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need on this matter ⌊to present a defense to you⌋.e 17 ⌊If it is so⌋,f our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. 18 And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that ⌊we will not serve your gods⌋,g and the statue of goldh that you have set up we will not worship.”