LITV - Daniel - 3

3:1  Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was sixty cubits; its breadth, six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

3:2  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges and the justices. And all the officials of the provinces were ordered to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3:3  Then were gathered the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the justices, and all the officials of the provinces, to 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 cried with strength: To you it is commanded O peoples, nations, and languages,

3:5  at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

3:6  And whoever does not fall down and worship, at that moment they will be thrown into the middle of a burning, fiery furnace.

3:7  Then at that time when all the people heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down, worshiping the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3:8  Then at that time men, Chaldeans, came near and slandered the Jews.

3:9  They answered and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever!

3:10  You, O king, have made a decree that every man who shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image.

3:11  And whoever does not fall down and worship, he should be thrown into the middle of a burning, fiery furnace.

3:12  There are men, Jews, whom you have set over the business of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, do not pay attention to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.

3:13  Then Nebuchadnezzar in anger and wrath commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

3:14  Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that you are not serving my gods, nor worshiping the golden image which I have set up?

3:15  Now if you are ready, at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, fall down and worship the image which I have made. But if you do not worship, in that moment you shall be thrown into the middle of a burning, fiery furnace. And who is that god who shall deliver you out of my hand?

3:16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to return a word to you on this matter.

3:17  If it is so that our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, then He will deliver out of your hand, O king.

3:18  And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.

3:19  Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke and commanded to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usual to heat it.

3:20  And he commanded mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to throw them into the burning, fiery furnace.

3:21  Then these men were tied up in their slippers, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the middle of the burning, fiery furnace.

3:22  Then, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

3:23  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning, fiery furnace.

3:24  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was amazed. And he rose up in haste; he spoke and said to his royal officials, Did we not throw three men bound into the middle of the fire? They replied and said to the king, True, O king.

3:25  He answered and said, Behold! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and there is no harm among them. And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.

3:26  Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning, fiery furnace. He answered and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out and come here . Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire.

3:27  And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's officials assembled. And they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power, and the hair of their head was not scorched, nor were their slippers changed, nor had the smell of fire clung on them.

3:28  Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His Angel and has delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and have changed the king's words, and have given their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.

3:29  And a decree is given by me, that every people, nation, and language who speak anything amiss about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he will be made into mere members and his house shall be made an outhouse. Because there is no other God who is able to deliver like this.

3:30  Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prosper in the province of Babylon.