Nebuchadnezzar the king
made
an image
of gold
, whose height
was threescore
cubits
, and the breadth
thereof 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 princes
, the governors
, and the captains
, the judges
, the treasurers
, the counsellors
, the sheriffs
, and all
the rulers
of the provinces
, to come
to the dedication
of the image
which Nebuchadnezzar
the king
had set up
.
Then the princes
, the governors
, and captains
, the judges
, the treasurers
, the counsellors
, the sheriffs
, and all
the rulers
of the provinces
, were gathered together
unto the dedication
of the image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
had set up
; and they stood
before
the image
that Nebuchadnezzar
had set up
.
Then an herald cried
aloud
, To you it is commanded
, O people
, nations
, and languages
,
That at what time ye hear
the sound
of the cornet
, flute
, harp
, sackbut
, psaltery
, dulcimer
, and all
kinds
of musick
, ye fall down
and worship
the golden
image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
hath set up
:
And whoso falleth
not
down
and worshippeth
shall the same hour
be cast
into the midst
of a burning
fiery
furnace
.
Therefore at that time
, when
all
the people
heard
the sound
of the cornet
, flute
, harp
, sackbut
, psaltery
, and all
kinds
of musick
, all
the people
, the nations
, and the languages
, fell down
and worshipped
the golden
image
that Nebuchadnezzar
the king
had set up
.
Wherefore at that
time
certain
Chaldeans
came near
, and accused
the Jews
.
They spake and said
to the king
Nebuchadnezzar
, O king
, live
for ever
.
Thou, O king
, hast made
a decree
, that every
man
that shall hear
the sound
of the cornet
, flute
, harp
, sackbut
, psaltery
, and dulcimer
, and all
kinds
of musick
, shall fall down
and worship
the golden
image
:
And whoso falleth
not
down
and worshippeth
, that he should be cast
into the midst
of a burning
fiery
furnace
.
There are certain
Jews
whom
thou hast set
over
the affairs
of the province
of Babylon
, Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
; these
men
, O king
, have
not
regarded
thee
: they serve
not
thy gods
, nor
worship
the golden
image
which thou hast set up
.
Then Nebuchadnezzar
in his rage
and fury
commanded
to bring
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
. Then
they brought
these
men
before
the king
.
Nebuchadnezzar spake
and said
unto them, Is it true
, O Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, do not
ye
serve
my gods
, nor
worship
the golden
image
which I have set
up?
Now if
ye be
ready
that at what time
ye hear
the sound
of the cornet
, flute
, harp
, sackbut
, psaltery
, and dulcimer
, and all
kinds
of musick
, ye fall down
and worship
the image
which I have made
; well : but if
ye worship
not
, ye shall be cast
the same hour
into the midst
of a burning
fiery
furnace
; and who
is that God
that shall deliver
you out of
my hands
?
Shadrach, Meshach
, and Abednego
, answered
and said
to the king
, O Nebuchadnezzar
, we
are not
careful
to answer
thee in
this
matter
.
If it be so , our God
whom we
serve
is
able
to deliver
us from
the burning
fiery
furnace
, and
he will deliver
us out of
thine hand
, O king
.
But if not
, be it
known
unto thee, O king
, that we will
not
serve
thy gods
, nor
worship
the golden
image
which thou hast set up
.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar
full
of fury
, and the form
of his visage
was changed
against
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
: therefore he spake
, and commanded
that they should heat
the furnace
one
seven times
more
than
it was wont
to be heated
.
And he commanded the most
mighty
men
that were in his army
to bind
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, and to cast
them into the burning
fiery
furnace
.
Then these
men
were bound
in their coats
, their hosen
, and their hats
, and their other garments
, and were cast
into the midst
of the burning
fiery
furnace
.
Therefore because
the king's
commandment
was urgent
, and the furnace
exceeding
hot
, the flame
of the fire
slew
those
men
that took up
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
.
And these three
men
, Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, fell down
bound
into the midst
of the burning
fiery
furnace
.
Then Nebuchadnezzar
the king
was astonied
, and rose up
in haste
, and spake
, and said
unto his counsellors
, Did not
we cast
three
men
bound
into the midst
of the fire
? They answered
and said
unto the king
, True
, O king
.
He answered and said
, Lo
, I
see
four
men
loose
, walking
in the midst
of the fire
, and they have
no
hurt
; and the form
of the fourth
is like
the Son
of God
.
Then Nebuchadnezzar
came near
to the mouth
of the burning
fiery
furnace
, and spake
, and said
, Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, ye servants
of the most high
God
, come forth
, and come
hither . Then
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, came forth
of
the midst
of the fire
.
And the princes, governors
, and captains
, and the king's
counsellors
, being gathered together
, saw
these
men
, upon whose bodies
the fire
had no
power
, nor
was an hair
of their head
singed
, neither
were their coats
changed
, nor
the smell
of fire
had passed
on them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake
, and said
, Blessed
be the God
of Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, who hath sent
his angel
, and delivered
his servants
that trusted
in him
, and have changed
the king's
word
, and yielded
their bodies
, that they might not
serve
nor
worship
any
god
, except
their own God
.
Therefore I make
a decree
, That every
people
, nation
, and language
, which speak
any thing amiss
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
that can
deliver
after this
sort.
Then the king
promoted
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, in the province
of Babylon
.