The Wrath of the King and His Fiery Furnace of Death

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger and the image of his face was changed ⌊toward⌋i Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so he ⌊ordered and said⌋j to heat up the one furnace seven times what was usual to heat it up. 20 And he commanded ⌊the strongest men of the guards⌋k who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these men were bound with their garments, their trousers and their turbans and their other clothing, and they were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 ⌊Therefore⌋l ⌊because⌋m the word of the king was severe and the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed these men who lifted up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 23 But these men, the three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and they were bound.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in haste and he asked, saying to his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? They answered, saying to the king, “Certainly, O king!” 25 ⌊He answered⌋,n saying, “Look, I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and there is no damage to them, and theo appearance of the fourth man resembles the son of a god.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire, and he called out, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ⌊servants⌋p of the Most High God, come outq and come here!” So then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the middle of the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the advisors of the king were assembling, and they saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, and the hair of their heads wasr not singed, and their garments were not harmed, and the smell of fire did not come from them.

The King’s Praise for the Great Deliverance of the Three Young Israelites

28 Nebuchadnezzar ⌊responded⌋,s saying, “Blessed be their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angelt and rescued his servants who trusted in him, and the command of the king they disobeyed, and they gave their bodies so that they did not serve and did not worship any god except their God. 29 And from me ⌊is set forth⌋u a decree that any people, nation, or language that may utter criticism against their God—the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—will be broken into pieces and theirv house will be made like ruins. ⌊For⌋w there is not another God who is able to rescue like this God.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar Declares What the Most High God Has Done for Him

4a Nebuchadnezzar the king to all of the nations, the peoples and languages that live in the whole earth: “May your prosperity increase! 2 It is pleasing to me to recount the signs and wonders that the Most High God worked for me. 3 How great are his signs and wonders, how strong is his kingdom, ⌊an everlasting kingdom⌋;b and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.

The Dream and the King’s Search for an Interpreter

4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was content in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 And I saw a dream and a revelation on my bed and it frightened me, and the visions of my head terrified me. 6 And a decree was ⌊sent out⌋,c ordering that all the wise men of Babylon were to be brought in before me so that they may make known to me the explanation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians,d the conjurers,e the ⌊astrologers⌋f and the diviners came in and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its explanation.g 8 Then ⌊at last⌋h Daniel came before me ⌊whose name was⌋i Belteshazzar, ⌊according to⌋j the name of my god, and ⌊in whom was the spirit of the holy gods⌋,k ⌊and I related the dream to him⌋.l

9 “ ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians,m I myself know that the spiritn of the holy gods is in you, and ⌊no mystery is too difficult⌋o for you. Now tell me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its explanation.p 10 Now these were the visions of my head as I was lying on my bed: I was ⌊gazing⌋q and, look, a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was exalted.

11 The tree grew and it became strong,

and its height reached to heaven,r

and ⌊it was visible to the end of the whole earth⌋.s

12 Its foliage was beautiful,

and its fruit abundant,

and in it was provision for all.

Under it the animalst of the field sought shade,

and in its branches the birds of heavenu nested,

and from it all the living beings were fed.

13 “ ‘I was looking in the vision of my head as I lay on my bed, and look, a watcher,v and a holy one, came down from heaven.

14 He cried ⌊aloud⌋w and so he said:

“Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;

shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit.

Let the animals flee from under it,

and the birds from its branches.

15 But the stump of its roots

leave in the earth,

⌊along with⌋x a band of iron and bronze;

leave it in the grass of the field.

And iny the dew of heaven

let itz be watered,

and with the animalsa

let his lot be in the grass of the earth.

16 Let his mind be changed from that of a human,b

and let the mind of an animal be given to him,

and let seven times pass over him.

17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers,

and the decision by the command of the holy ones,

⌊in order that⌋c the living will know

that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind,

and ⌊to whomever⌋d he wills he gives it,

and he even sets the humblest of men over it.”

18 “ ‘This is the dream that I, Nebuchadnezzar the king, saw. Nowe you, Belteshazzar, declare its explanation, ⌊for⌋f all of the wise men of my kingdom were not able to make the explanation known to me, but you are able because the spirit of holy gods is in you.’

Daniel Relates and Interprets the Dream

19 “Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was distressed ⌊for some time⌋,g and his thoughts disturbed him. The king answered and he said, ‘Belteshazzar, let the dream and its explanation not disturb you.’ Belteshazzar answered and said, ‘My lord, may the dream and its explanation be for those who hate you and for your enemies. 20 The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong and its height reached to heavenh and ⌊it was visible to the end of the whole earth⌋,i 21 and its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and so there was provision for all in it, and the animalsj of the field lived under it and in its branches nest the birds of heaven,k 22 —it is you, O king, who have grown great and you have grown strong, and so your greatness has increased and it has reached to heavenl and your sovereignty to the end of the earth. 23 And inasmuch that the king saw the watcher, a holy one coming down from heavenm and he said, “Cut down the tree and destroy it, but the stump of its root in the earth leave with a band of iron and bronze in the grass of the field, and let it be watered with the dew of heaven and let his lot be with the animals of the field ⌊until seven times have passed over him⌋.”n 24 This is the explanation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king: 25 you will be driven away ⌊from human society⌋o and ⌊you will dwell⌋p with the animalsq of the field, and you will be caused to graze grass like the oxen ⌊yourself⌋,r and you will be watered with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you until that you have acknowledged that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and ⌊to whom he wills⌋s he gives it. 26 ⌊And in that⌋t they said to leave alone the stump of the tree’s root, so your kingdom will be restored for you ⌊when⌋u you acknowledge that heaven is sovereign. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you and your sin removev with righteousness and your iniquity with having mercy on the oppressed, ⌊in case there might be a prolongation of your prosperity⌋.’ ”w