The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace

3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an imageq of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,a and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps,r prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officialss to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language,t this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,u pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the imagev of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.w 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”x

7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.y

8 At this time some astrologersb z came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever!a 10 Your Majesty has issued a decreeb that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold,c 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednegod—who pay no attentione to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”f

13 Furiousg with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my godsh or worship the imagei of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what godj will be able to rescuek you from my hand?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednegol replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliverm us from it, and he will delivern usc from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.o”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated sevenp times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednegoq and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,r 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,s come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal adviserst crowded around them.u They saw that the firev had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angelw and rescuedx his servants! They trustedy in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.z 29 Therefore I decreea that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble,b for no other god can savec in this way.”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.d

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree

4 a King Nebuchadnezzar,

To the nations and peoples of every language,e who live in all the earth:

May you prosper greatly!f

2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signsg and wonders that the Most High Godh has performed for me.

3 How great are his signs,

how mighty his wonders!i

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;

his dominion enduresj from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contentedk and prosperous. 5 I had a dreaml that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed,m the images and visions that passed through my mindn terrified me.o 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpretp the dream for me. 7 When the magicians,q enchanters, astrologersb and divinersr came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.s 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar,t after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy godsu is in him.)

9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chiefv of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy godsw is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed:x I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.y 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.z 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches;a from it every creature was fed.

13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed,b I looked, and there before me was a holy one,c a messenger,c coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the treed and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.e 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

“ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven timesd pass by for him.f

17 “ ‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most Highg is sovereignh over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliesti of people.’

18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me.j But you can,k because the spirit of the holy godsl is in you.”m

Daniel Interprets the Dream

19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrifiedn him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”o

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birdsp—22 Your Majesty, you are that tree!q You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.r

23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one,s a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’t

24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decreeu the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenchedv with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most Highw is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.x 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its rootsy means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.z 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed.a It may be that then your prosperityb will continue.c”

The Dream Is Fulfilled

28 All this happenedd to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glorye of my majesty?”f

31 Even as the words …