Daniel 3
World English Bible
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits,[a] 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 down and 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 shall fall 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 it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my god, nor 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, and commanded that 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 in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the 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, except their 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.
Footnotes
- 3:1 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
Daniel 3
Lexham English Bible
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 gold[e] 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 gold[l] 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 appointed[w] 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 gold[y] 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 gold[z] that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready so that when[aa] 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[ab] you will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god[ac] who[ad] 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.[ae] 17 If it is so,[af] 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,[ag] and the statue of gold[ah] that you have set up we will not worship.”
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[ai] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so he ordered and said[aj] 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[ak] 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[al] because[am] 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,[an] saying, “Look, I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and there is no damage to them, and the[ao] 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[ap] of the Most High God, come out[aq] and come here!” 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 was[ar] 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,[as] saying, “Blessed be their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel[at] 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[au] 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 their[av] house will be made like ruins. For[aw] 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.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:3 Literally “to the front”
- Daniel 3:4 Literally “with power”
- Daniel 3:4 Literally “they are saying”
- Daniel 3:4 Literally “the nations and the languages”
- Daniel 3:5 Aramaic “the gold”
- Daniel 3:6 Literally “who that”
- Daniel 3:6 Literally “the time”
- Daniel 3:7 Literally “All of because this”
- Daniel 3:7 Literally “at the time”
- Daniel 3:7 Literally “as that”
- Daniel 3:7 Literally “the nations and the languages”
- Daniel 3:7 Aramaic “the gold”
- Daniel 3:8 Literally “All because of this”
- Daniel 3:8 Literally “at it the time”
- Daniel 3:8 Literally “Chaldean men”
- Daniel 3:8 Literally “they ate their pieces of the Jews”
- Daniel 3:9 Literally “they answered and were saying”
- Daniel 3:9 Literally “to eternity”
- Daniel 3:10 Literally “all of humanity”
- Daniel 3:10 Aramaic “the gold”
- Daniel 3:11 Literally “And who that”
- Daniel 3:11 Literally “not he falls down”
- Daniel 3:12 Aramaic “whom you have appointed them”
- Daniel 3:12 Literally “not they pay heed to you”
- Daniel 3:12 Aramaic “the gold”
- Daniel 3:14 Aramaic “the gold”
- Daniel 3:15 Literally “at that time”
- Daniel 3:15 Literally “at that very time”
- Daniel 3:15 Literally “who he god”
- Daniel 3:15 Or “that”
- Daniel 3:16 Literally “to return to you”
- Daniel 3:17 Literally “If there is”
- Daniel 3:18 Literally “your gods not there is us serving”
- Daniel 3:18 Aramaic “the gold”
- Daniel 3:19 Literally “against”
- Daniel 3:19 Literally “answering and saying”
- Daniel 3:20 Literally “to the strong men, men of strength”
- Daniel 3:22 Literally “because of this”
- Daniel 3:22 Literally “from that”
- Daniel 3:25 Literally “was answering”
- Daniel 3:25 Aramaic “its”
- Daniel 3:26 Literally “his servant”
- Daniel 3:26 Or “Go out”
- Daniel 3:27 Aramaic plural
- Daniel 3:28 Literally “answering”
- Daniel 3:28 Or “messenger”
- Daniel 3:29 Literally “setting out”
- Daniel 3:29 Aramaic “his”
- Daniel 3:29 Literally “All of because”
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