C.
Over the seduction of idol worship
3:1-30
Dan. 3
:1
3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an
1aimage of gold, its height sixty cubits
and its width six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
Dan. 3
:2
3:2
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the chief judges, the treasury officials, the law officials, the judges, and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Dan. 3
:3
3:3
Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the chief judges, the treasury officials, the law officials, the judges, and all the
1rulers of the provinces assembled themselves for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Dan. 3
:4
3:4
Then a herald proclaimed loudly, To you it is commanded, O peoples,
anations, and languages,
Dan. 3
:5
3:5
At the time that you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and
aworship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up;
Dan. 3
:6
3:6
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the midst of a blazing furnace of
afire in that very hour.
Dan. 3
:7
3:7
Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery,
1bagpipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Dan. 3
:8
3:8
Because of this at that time certain Chaldeans drew near and
aaccused the Jews.
Dan. 3
:9
3:9
They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live forever!
Dan. 3
:10
3:10
You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image;
Dan. 3
:11
3:11
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the midst of a blazing furnace of fire.
Dan. 3
:12
3:12
There are certain Jews, whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon —
aShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego — these men have not respected you, O king; they do not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up.
Dan. 3
:13
3:13
Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded
men to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; then they brought these men before the king.
Dan. 3
:14
3:14
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, Do you, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, purposely not serve my
agods nor
bworship the golden image that I have set up?
Dan. 3
:15
3:15
Now then, if, at the time when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you are ready to fall down and worship the image that I have made,
very well; but if you do not worship, you will be thrown into the midst of a blazing furnace of fire in that very hour; and who is that god who will
adeliver you out of my hands?
Dan. 3
:16
3:16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, there is no need for us to give you an answer in this matter.
Dan. 3
:17
3:17
If it be
so, our God whom we serve is able to
adeliver us from the blazing furnace of fire, and He will deliver
us out of your hand, O king.
Dan. 3
:18
3:18
But if
He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up.
Dan. 3
:19
3:19
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the countenance of his face was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He responded and commanded that the furnace be made seven times hotter than it was usually heated.
Dan. 3
:20
3:20
And he commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and throw
them into the blazing furnace of fire.
Dan. 3
:21
3:21
Then these men were bound in their shirts, tunics, and mantles, and
other clothing, and thrown into the midst of the blazing furnace of fire.
Dan. 3
:22
3:22
For this reason, because the king’s word was so harsh and the furnace had been heated to an extreme, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Dan. 3
:23
3:23
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the blazing furnace of fire bound up.
Dan. 3
:24
3:24
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and stood up in haste; he responded and said to his counselors, Did we not throw three men into the midst of the fire bound up? They answered and said to the king, Certainly, O king.
Dan. 3
:25
3:25
He answered and said, Look, I see four men loose,
awalking in the midst of the fire; and they are not harmed. And the appearance of the
1fourth is like a
bson of the gods.
Dan. 3
:26
3:26
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the blazing furnace of fire. He responded and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,
aservants of God the
bMost High, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.
Dan. 3
:27
3:27
And the satraps, prefects, and governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw concerning these men that the fire had
ano effect on their bodies and
that the hair of their heads was not singed, nor had their clothes been affected, nor had the smell of fire come upon them.
Dan. 3
:28
3:28
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His
aangel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him and
1changed the king’s word and yielded their
bbodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.
Dan. 3
:29
3:29
Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks something offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be cut into pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.
Dan. 3
:30
3:30
Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.
