1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather 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 which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3Then were gathered the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces, to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4And the herald cried with might, "To you it is said, O peoples, nations, and tongues:
5at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and do homage to the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
6And whoever does not fall down and do homage, in that hour shall be cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace."
7Because of this, at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the tongues fell down and did homage to the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8Because of this, at that time, certain Chaldean men came near and ate the pieces of the Jews.
9They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, "O king, live forever!
10You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, and the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and do homage to the image of gold;
11and whoever does not fall down and do homage shall be cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
12There are certain Jewish men whom you have appointed over the work of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded you: they do not serve your gods, and they do not do homage to the image of gold which you have set up."
13Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then these men were brought before the king.
14Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods, nor do homage to the image of gold which I have set up?
15Now, if you are ready, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, and the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and do homage to the image which I have made, well; but if you do not do homage, in that hour you shall be cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace; and who is the god who shall deliver you from my hands?"
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you concerning this matter.
17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and from your hand, O king, He will deliver.
18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor do homage to the image of gold which you have set up."
19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; he answered and commanded to heat the furnace seven times more than it was seen fit to heat it.
20And to mighty men of valor who were in his army he commanded to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22Because of this, since the king's word was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste; he answered and said to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
25He answered and said, "Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods."
26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he answered and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of God Most High (Elyon), come out and come." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out from the midst of the fire.
27And the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, and the hair of their head was not singed, and their mantles were not changed, and the smell of fire had not passed upon them.
28Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and changed the king's word, and gave up their bodies, that they might not serve nor do homage to any god, except their own God.
29And from me a decree is set, that every people, nation, and tongue that speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be made into pieces, and his house shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god who is able to deliver like this."
30Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prosper in the province of Babylon.
31Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and tongues that dwell in all the earth: May your peace be multiplied.
32It has seemed good before me to declare the signs and wonders which God Most High (Elyon) has done with me.
33His signs, how great they are! and His wonders, how mighty! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is with generation and generation.