Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubits, and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Then the satraps, 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.
Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltry, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up;
and whoever does not fall down and worship will the same hour be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.”
Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltry, 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.
The Fiery Furnace
Then at that time certain Chaldeans came near and brought an accusation against the Jews.
They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live forever.
You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltry, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden image,
and whoever does not fall down and worship will be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.
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 do not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my god, nor worship the golden image that I have set up?
Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltry, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace, and who is that god that can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.
If our God whom we serve exists, then he is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he can deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So he spoke and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
Then he commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
So these men were tied up in their cloaks, their tunics, and their head coverings, and their other garments, and were thrown into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.
Because the king’s commandment was so urgent and the furnace extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the middle of the burning fiery furnace, still tied up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men, tied up, into the middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.”
He answered and said, “Look! I see four men, loose, walking around in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the opening to 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 from the middle of the fire.
The satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their cloaks harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
Nebuchadnezzar answered 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 they changed the king’s word, and they were willing to give up their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut in pieces, and their houses will be made a dunghill, because there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.