3:1  Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which measured sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

3:2  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3:3  Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces all assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

3:4  Then the herald loudly proclaimed: "To you I give you the command, O peoples, nations and men of every language,

3:5  that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

3:6  "But whoever does not fall down and worship we shall immediately cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."

3:7  Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3:8  For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews.

3:9  They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: " O king, live forever!

3:10  "You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image.

3:11  "But whoever does not fall down and worship we shall cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

3:12  " We discovered certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."

3:13  Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then they brought these men before the king.

3:14  Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, " Do we find it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?

3:15  "Now if you have made yourself ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well But if you do not worship, we will immediately cast you into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god can we find who can deliver you out of my hands?"

3:16   Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

3:17  "If it should occur, our God whom we serve can deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

3:18  " But even if He does not, let it become known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

3:19  Then Nebuchadnezzar became filled with wrath, and his facial expression altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than they usually heated it.

3:20  He commanded certain valiant warriors who served in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

3:21  Then they tied these men up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and cast them into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

3:22  For this reason, because the king's command seemed urgent and the furnace had become extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

3:23  But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

3:24  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king felt astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, " Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."

3:25  He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth looks like a son of the gods!"

3:26  Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

3:27  The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor did the hair of their head become singed, nor did their trousers suffer damage, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

3:28  Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, " We bless the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

3:29  "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall become torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as no other god can deliver in this way."

3:30  Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.