~ King Nebuchadnezzar Made an Image of Gold~

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold,
sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,
and set it up on the plain of Dura
in the province of Babylon.
He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors,
advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates
and all the other provincial officials
to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.
So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers,
treasurers, judges, magistrates
and all the other provincial officials
assembled for the dedication of the image
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up,
and they stood before it.
 
Then the herald loudly proclaimed,
“Nations and peoples of every language,
this is what you are commanded to do:
As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music,
you must fall down and worship the image of gold
that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
Whoever does not fall down and worship
will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound
of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music,
all the nations and peoples of every language
fell down and worshiped the image of gold
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

At this time some astrologers came forward
and denounced the Jews.
They said to King Nebuchadnezzar,
“May the king live forever!
Your Majesty has issued a decree
that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music
must fall down and worship the image of gold,
and that whoever does not fall down and worship
will be thrown into a blazing furnace.
But there are some Jews whom you have set over
the affairs of the province of Babylon —
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego —
who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty.
They neither serve your gods
nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
So these men were brought before the king,
and Nebuchadnezzar said to them,
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
that you do not serve my gods
or worship the image of gold I have set up?
Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music,
if you are ready to fall down
and worship the image I made, very good.
But if you do not worship it,
you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.
Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him,
“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need
to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,
the God we serve is able to deliver us from it,
and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
But even if He does not,
we want you to know, Your Majesty,
that we will not serve your gods
or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious
with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
and his attitude toward them changed.
He ordered the furnace heated
seven times hotter than usual and commanded
some of the strongest soldiers in his army
to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
and throw them into the blazing furnace.
So these men, wearing their robes,
trousers, turbans and other clothes,
were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
The king’s command was so urgent
and the furnace so hot
that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers
who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
and these three men, firmly tied,
fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar
leaped to his feet in amazement
and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men
that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire,
unbound and unharmed,
and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening
of the blazing furnace and shouted,
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
came out of the fire,
and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers
crowded around them.
They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies,
nor was a hair of their heads singed;
their robes were not scorched,
and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said,
“Praise be to the God
of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!
They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command
and were willing to give up their lives
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.
Therefore I decree that the people
of any nation or language
who say anything against the God
of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
be cut into pieces
and their houses be turned into piles of rubble,
for no other god can save in this way.”

Then the king promoted
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
in the province of Babylon.



(Daniel 3)