Daniel 3:1-18 - The Faithfulness Of Three Young Israelites And God's Deliverance

¹ Nebuchadnezzar the king, made an image of gold, the height thereof, sixty cubits, the breadth thereof, six cubits, - he set it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ² And, Nebuchadnezzar the king, sent to gather together the satraps, the nobles and the pashas, the chief judges, the treasurers, the judges, the lawyers, and all the rulers of the province, - to come to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the king, had set up. ³ Then were gathered together, the satraps, the nobles and the pashas, the chief judges, the treasurers, the judges, the lawyers, and all the rulers of the province, to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, - and they stood before the image, which Nebuchadnezzar, had set up.

⁴ And, the herald, proclaimed aloud, - To you, is given the word, O ye peoples, races, and tongues: ⁵ At what time ye shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery, the bagpipes, and all kinds of instruments of music, ye shall fall down and adore the image of gold, which Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; ⁶ and, whosoever shall not fall down and adore, shall, instantly, be cast into the burning furnace of fire.

⁷ Wherefore, at the same time - when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery, and all kinds of instruments of music, they were falling down - even all the peoples, the races, and the tongues, - adoring the image of gold, which Nebuchadnezzar the king, had set up.

⁸ Wherefore, at the same time, drew near certain Chaldeans, - and accused the Jews: ⁹ they spake, and said, to Nebuchadnezzar the king: O king! for ages, live! ¹⁰ Thou thyself, O king, hast made a decree, that, any man who shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery and the bagpipes, and all kinds of instruments of music, shall fall down and adore the image of gold; ¹¹ and, whosoever shall not fall down and adore, shall be cast into the burning furnace of fire. ¹² There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the business of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - these men, have made thee, O king, of no account, thy god, they serve not, and, the image of gold which thou hast set up, do they not adore.

¹³ Then, Nebuchadnezzar - with anger and wrath, gave word to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, then, these men, brought they before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it, with design, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - that, my god, ye are not serving, and, the image which I have set up, are not adoring? ¹⁵ Now, if ye be ready, at what time ye shall hear the sound of the cornet, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery and the bagpipes, and all the instruments of music, ye shall fall down and adore the image which I have made, but, if ye shall not adore, instantly, shall ye be cast into the midst of the burning furnace of fire, - and who is the god that shall deliver you out of my hands?

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered, and said to the king: O Nebuchadnezzar! we are not accounting it needful, concerning this, to answer thee. ¹⁷ If it is, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us, - out of the burning furnace of fire, and out of thy hand, O king, he will deliver. ¹⁸ But, if not, be it known to thee, O king, - that, thy god, will we not serve, and, the image of gold which thou hast set up, will we not adore.