Daniel 3
New American Standard Bible
The King’s Golden Image
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made a (A)statue of gold, the height of which was [a]sixty cubits, and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the (B)province of Babylon. 2 Nebuchadnezzar the king also sent word to assemble the (C)satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the chief treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the administrators of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the chief treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the administrators of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you [b]the command is given, you (D)peoples, nations, and populations of all [c]languages, 5 that at the moment you (E)hear the sound of the horn, flute, [d]lyre, [e]trigon, [f]psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be (F)thrown into the middle of a (G)furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, [g]lyre, trigon, psaltery, [h]bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all [i]languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Worship of the Image Refused
8 For this reason at that time certain (H)Chaldeans came forward and [j](I)brought charges against the Jews. 9 They began to speak and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “(J)O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have (K)made a decree that every person who hears the sound of the horn, flute, [k]lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, is to (L)fall down and worship the golden statue. 11 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the middle of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have (M)appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods, nor do they worship the golden statue which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in (N)rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar began speaking and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve (O)my gods, nor worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready, (P)at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, [l]lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will [m]immediately be (Q)thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and (R)what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?”
16 (S)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we are not in need of an answer to give you concerning this matter. 17 If it be so, our (T)God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; [n]and (U)He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 (V)But even if He does not, (W)let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
Daniel’s Friends Protected
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with (X)wrath, and his facial expression was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He answered [o]by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in order to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these men were tied up in their (Y)trousers, their [p]coats, their caps, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 For this reason, because the king’s [q]command was (Z)harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, (AA)fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” 25 He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and (AB)walking about in the middle of the fire [r]unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the (AC)gods!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the (AD)Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (AE)came out of the middle of the fire. 27 The (AF)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the (AG)fire had no [s]effect on [t]the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor were their [u](AH)trousers [v]damaged, nor had even the smell of fire touched them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the (AI)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has (AJ)sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their (AK)trust in Him, [w]violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies (AL)rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I (AM)make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of (AN)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their (AO)houses made a rubbish heap, because there is (AP)no other god who is able to save in this way.” 30 Then the king (AQ)made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prosperous in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:1 About 90 ft. high and 9 ft. wide or 27 m and 2.7 m
- Daniel 3:4 Lit they command
- Daniel 3:4 Lit tongues
- Daniel 3:5 Or zither
- Daniel 3:5 I.e., triangular lyre
- Daniel 3:5 Or a type of harp
- Daniel 3:7 See notes v 5
- Daniel 3:7 MT omits bagpipe
- Daniel 3:7 Lit tongues
- Daniel 3:8 Lit ate the pieces of
- Daniel 3:10 See notes v 5
- Daniel 3:15 See notes 1, 2, 3 v 5
- Daniel 3:15 Or in the same hour
- Daniel 3:17 Or then
- Daniel 3:19 Lit and ordered to
- Daniel 3:21 Or cloaks
- Daniel 3:22 Lit word
- Daniel 3:25 Lit there is no injury in them
- Daniel 3:27 Lit power over
- Daniel 3:27 Lit their
- Daniel 3:27 Or coats
- Daniel 3:27 Lit changed
- Daniel 3:28 Lit and changed the king’s word
Daniel 3
Common English Bible
Gold statue
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue. It was ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up in the Dura Valley in the province of Babylon. 2 King Nebuchadnezzar then ordered the chief administrators, ministers, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to assemble and come for the dedication of the statue that he had set up. 3 So the chief administrators, ministers, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They stood in front of the statue the king had set up. 4 The herald proclaimed loudly: “Peoples, nations, and languages! This is what you must do: 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument, you must bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Anyone who will not bow down and worship will be immediately thrown into a furnace of flaming fire.” 7 So because of this order as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute,[a] and every kind of instrument, all the peoples, nations, and languages bowed down and worshipped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Plot against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
8 At that moment some Chaldeans came forward, seizing a chance to attack the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar:
“Long live the king! 10 Your Majesty, you gave a command that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument should bow down and worship the gold statue. 11 Anyone who wouldn’t bow and worship would be thrown into a furnace of flaming fire. 12 Now there are some Jews, ones you appointed to administer the province of Babylon—specifically, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored your command. They don’t serve your gods, and they don’t worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”
13 In a violent rage Nebuchadnezzar ordered them to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I’ve set up? 15 If you are now ready to do so, bow down and worship the gold statue I’ve made when you hear the sound of horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument. But if you won’t worship it, you will be thrown straight into the furnace of flaming fire. Then what god will rescue you from my power?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar: “We don’t need to answer your question. 17 If our God—the one we serve—is able to rescue us from the furnace of flaming fire and from your power, Your Majesty, then let him rescue us.[b] 18 But if he doesn’t, know this for certain, Your Majesty: we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”
Inside the furnace
19 Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his face twisted beyond recognition because of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In response he commanded that the furnace be heated to seven times its normal heat. 20 He told some of the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of flaming fire. 21 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound, still dressed in all their clothes, and thrown into the furnace of flaming fire. (22 Now the king’s command had been rash, and the furnace was heated to such an extreme that the fire’s flame killed the very men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it.) 23 So these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell, bound, into the furnace of flaming fire.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in shock and said to his associates, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?”
They answered the king, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He replied, “Look! I see four men, unbound, walking around inside the fire, and they aren’t hurt! And the fourth one looks like one of the gods.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar went near the opening of the furnace of flaming fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. 27 The chief administrators, ministers, governors, and the king’s associates crowded around to look at them. The fire hadn’t done anything to them: their hair wasn’t singed; their garments looked the same as before; they didn’t even smell like fire!
Nebuchadnezzar praises God
28 Nebuchadnezzar declared: “May the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be praised! He sent his messenger[c] to rescue his servants who trusted him. They ignored the king’s order, sacrificing their bodies, because they wouldn’t serve or worship any god but their God. 29 I now issue a decree to every people, nation, and language: whoever speaks disrespectfully about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God will be torn limb from limb and their house made a trash heap, because there is no other god who can rescue like this.”
30 Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prosperous in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:7 Identification of the instruments is not certain; several of the Aramaic terms are Greek loanwords.
- Daniel 3:17 Or he will deliver us
- Daniel 3:28 Or angel
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible