¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ^(A)we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our ^(B)God whom we serve is able to ^(C)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ^(D)worship the gold image which you have set up.”

²⁵ “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, ^(A)walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like ^(B)the^[a] Son of God.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the ^[b]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the ^(C)Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. ²⁷ And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men ^(D)on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His ^(E)Angel^[c] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ^29 (F)Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the ^(G)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be ^(H)cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; ^(I)because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

³⁰ Then the king ^[d]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.