The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Daniel 03
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,
whose height was sixty cubits† and its width six
cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura,
in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to
gather together the local governors, the
deputies, and the governors, the judges,
the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs,
and all the rulers of the provinces, to come
to the dedication of the image which
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3 Then the local governors, the deputies,
and the governors, the judges, the treasurers,
the counselors, the sheriffs, and all
the rulers of the provinces were gathered
together to the dedication of the image
that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up;
and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then the herald cried aloud, “To you
it is commanded, peoples, nations, and
languages,
5 that whenever you hear the sound of
the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe,
and all kinds of music, you fall down and
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king has set up.
6 Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall
be cast into the middle of a burning fiery
furnace the same hour.”
7 Therefore at that time, when all the
peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of
music, all the peoples, the nations, and
the languages fell downand worshiped the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the
king had set up.
8 Therefore at that time certain
Chaldeans came near and brought
accusation against the Jews.
9 They answered Nebuchadnezzar the
king, “O king, live for ever!
10 You, O king, have made a decree that
every man who hears the sound of the
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all
kinds of music shallfall down and worship
the golden image;
11 and whoever doesn’t fall down and
worship shall be cast into the middle of a
burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom you
have appointed over the affairs of the
province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego. These men, O king, have
not respected you. They don’t serve your
gods, and don’t worship the golden image
which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and
fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego be brought. Then these
men were brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is
ittrue, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you don’t serve my gods and you don’t
worship the golden image which I have set
up?
15 Now if you are ready whenever you
hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither,
lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to
fall down and worship the image which I
have made, good; but if you don’t worship,
you shall be cast the same hour into the
middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who
is that god who will deliver you out of my
hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we
have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 If it happens, our God whom we serve
is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace; and he will deliver us out of your
hand, O king.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O
king, that we will not serve your gods
or worship the golden image which you have
set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of
fury, and the form of his appearance was
changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. He spoke, andcommandedthat
they should heat the furnace seven times
more than it was usually heated.
20 He commanded certain mighty men
who were in his army to bind Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them
into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their
pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and
their other clothes, and were cast into the
middle of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment
was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot,
the flame of the fire killed
those men who took up Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
23 These three men, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, fell down bound into the
middle of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was
astonished and rose up in haste. He spoke
and said to his counselors, “Didn’t we cast
three men bound into the middle of the
fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.”
25 He answered, “Look, I see four men
loose, walking inthe middle ofthefire, and
they are unharmed. The appearance ofthe
fourth is like a son of the gods.‡”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to
the mouth ofthe burning fiery furnace. He
spoke and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, you servants of the Most High
God, come out, and come here!”
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
came out of the middle of the fire.
27 The local governors, the deputies, and
the governors, and the king’s counselors,
being gathered together, saw these men,
that the fire had no power on their bodies.
The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their
pants weren’t changed. The smell of fire
wasn’t even on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, who has sent his angel and
delivered his servants who trusted in him,
and have changed the king’s word, and
have yielded their bodies, that they might
not serve nor worship any god excepttheir
own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree that every
people, nation, and language which speak
anything evil against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in
pieces, and their houses shall be made a
dunghill, because there is no other god
who is able to deliver like this.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego in the province of
Babylon.