Daniel 3

¹King Nebuchadnezzar made a statue of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon

²Then king Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather together the governors, magistrates and judges, generals and sovereigns and commanders, and all the leaders of the regions, to come together for the dedication of the statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar had raised

³Then the governors, magistrates and judges, generals and sovereigns and nobles, who were appointed to power, and all the leaders of the regions were brought together so as to convene for the dedication of the statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar had raised. And so they stood before the statue that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up

⁴And a herald proclaimed loudly, “To you it is said, to you peoples, tribes, and languages

⁵that in the hour when you will hear the sound of the trumpet and the pipe and the lute, the harp and the psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, you must fall down and adore the gold statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar has set up

⁶But if anyone will not bow down and adore, in the same hour he will be cast into a furnace of burning fire.

⁷After this, therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lute, the harp and the psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, all the peoples, tribes, and languages fell down and adored the gold statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up

⁸And soon, about the same time, some influential Chaldeans came and accused the Jews

⁹and they said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever

¹⁰You, O king, have established a decree, so that every man who might hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lute, the harp and the psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, will prostrate himself and adore the gold statue

¹¹But if any man will not fall down and adore, he would be cast into a furnace of burning fire

¹²Yet there are influential Jews, whom you have appointed over the works of the region of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have scorned your decree. They do not worship your gods, and they do not adore the gold statue which you have raised up.

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar, in fury and in wrath, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should be brought, and so, without delay, they were brought before the king

¹⁴And king Nebuchadnezzar addressed them and said, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the gold statue, which I have set up

¹⁵Therefore, if you are prepared now, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipe, lute, harp and psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, prostrate yourselves and adore the statue which I have made. But if you will not adore, in the same hour you will be cast into the furnace of burning fire. And who is the God that will rescue you from my hand?

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “It is not right for us to obey you in this matter

¹⁷For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to rescue us from the oven of burning fire and to free us from your hands, O king

¹⁸But even if he will not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not worship your gods, nor adore the gold statue, which you have raised up.

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the appearance of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated to seven times its usual fire

²⁰And he ordered the strongest men of his army to bind the feet of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire

²¹And immediately these men were bound, and along with their coats, and their hats, and their shoes, and their garments, were cast into the middle of the furnace of burning fire

²²But the king’s order was so urgent that the furnace was heated excessively. As a result, those men who had cast in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were killed by the flame of the fire

²³But these three men, that is, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, having been bound, fell down in the middle of the oven of burning fire

²⁴And they were walking in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord

²⁵Then Azariah, while standing, prayed in this manner, and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire, he said

²⁶“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and your name is praiseworthy and glorious for all ages

²⁷For you are just in all the things that you have accomplished for us, and all your works are true, and your ways are right, and all your judgments are true

²⁸For you have made equally true judgments in all the things that you have brought upon us and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers. For in truth and in judgment, you have brought down all these things because of our sins

²⁹For we have sinned, and we have committed iniquity in withdrawing from you, and we have offended in all things

³⁰And we have not listened to your precepts, nor have we observed or done as you have ordered us, so that it might go well with us

³¹Therefore, everything that you have brought upon us, and all that you have done for us, you have done in true judgment

³²And you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies: traitors, unjust and most wicked, and to a king, unjust and most wicked, even more so than all others on earth

³³And now we are not able to open our mouths. We have become a shame and a disgrace to your servants and to those who worship you

³⁴Do not hand us over forever, we ask you, because of your name, and do not abolish your covenant

³⁵And do not withdraw your mercy from us, because of Abraham, your beloved, and Isaac, your servant, and Israel, your holy one

³⁶You have spoken with them, promising that you would multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven and like the sand on the seashore

³⁷For we, O Lord, are diminished more than all other peoples, and we are brought low throughout all the earth, this day, because of our sins

³⁸Neither is there, at this time, a leader, or a ruler, or a prophet, nor any holocaust, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place of first fruits, in your eyes

³⁹so that we may be able to find your mercy. Nevertheless, with a contrite soul and humble spirit, let us be accepted

⁴⁰Just as in the holocausts of rams and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be in your sight this day, in order to please you. For there is no shame for those who trust in you

⁴¹And now we follow you wholeheartedly, and we fear you, and we seek your face

⁴²Do not put us to shame, but deal with us in agreement with your clemency and according to the multitude of your mercies

⁴³And rescue us by your wonders and give glory to your name, O Lord

⁴⁴And let all those be confounded who lead your servants towards evil. May they be confounded by all your power and may their strength be crushed

⁴⁵And may they know that you are the Lord, the only God, and glorious above the world.

⁴⁶And they did not cease, those attendants of the king who had cast them in, to heat the furnace with oil, and flax, and pitch, and brush

⁴⁷And the flame streamed forth above the furnace for forty-nine cubits

⁴⁸And the fire erupted and burnt those of the Chaldeans within its reach near the furnace

⁴⁹But the angel of the Lord descended with Azariah and his companions into the furnace; and he cast the flame of the fire out of the furnace

⁵⁰And he made the middle of the furnace like the blowing of a damp wind, and the fire did not touch them, nor afflict them, nor bother them at all

⁵¹Then these three, as if with one voice, praised and glorified and blessed God, in the furnace, saying

⁵²“Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers: praiseworthy, and glorious, and exalted above all forever. And blessed is the holy name of your glory: praiseworthy, and exalted above all, for all ages

⁵³Blessed are you in the holy temple of your glory: praiseworthy above all and exalted above all forever

⁵⁴Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom: praiseworthy above all and exalted above all forever

⁵⁵Blessed are you who beholds the abyss and sits upon the cherubims: praiseworthy and exalted above all forever

⁵⁶Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven: praiseworthy and glorious forever

⁵⁷All works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁵⁸Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁵⁹Heaven, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁰All waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶¹All powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶²Sun and moon, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶³Stars of heaven, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁴Every rain and dew, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁵Every breath of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁶Fire and steam, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁷Cold and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁸Dews and frost, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁶⁹Sleet and winter, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁰Ice and snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷¹Nights and days, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷²Light and darkness, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷³Lightning and clouds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁴May the land bless the Lord: and praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁵Mountains and hills, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁶All things that grow in the land, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁷Fountains, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁸Seas and rivers, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁷⁹Whales and all things that move in the waters, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸⁰All things that fly in the heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸¹All beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸²Sons of men, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸³May Israel bless the Lord: and praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸⁴Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸⁵Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸⁶Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸⁷Those who are holy and humble in heart, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever

⁸⁸Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever. For he has delivered us from the underworld, and saved us from the hand of death, and freed us from the midst of the burning flame, and rescued us from the midst of the fire

⁸⁹Give thanks to the Lord because he is good: because his mercy is forever

⁹⁰All those who are pious, bless the Lord, the God of gods: praise him and acknowledge him because his mercy is for all generations.

⁹¹Then king Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he quickly got up and said to his nobles: “Did we not cast three men shackled into the midst of the fire?” Answering the king, they said, “True, O king.

⁹²He answered and said, “Behold, I see four men unbound and walking in the midst of the fire, and no harm is in them, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.

⁹³Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the entrance of the furnace of burning fire, and he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the supreme God, come out and approach.” And immediately Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went out from the midst of the fire

⁹⁴And when the governors, and the magistrates, and the judges, and the powerful of the king had gathered together, they considered these men because the fire had no power against their bodies, and not a hair of their head had been scorched, and their pants had not been affected, and the smell of the fire had not passed onto them

⁹⁵Then Nebuchadnezzar, bursting out, said, “Blessed is their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who believed in him. And they altered the verdict of the king, and they delivered up their bodies, so that they would not serve or adore any god except their God

⁹⁶Therefore, this decree is established by me: that every people, tribe, and language, whenever they have spoken blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will perish and their homes will be destroyed. For there is no other God who is able to save in this way.

⁹⁷Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon

⁹⁸NEBUCHADNEZZAR, the king, to all peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in the whole world, may peace be increased with you

⁹⁹The supreme God has accomplished signs and wonders with me. Therefore, it has pleased me to proclai

¹⁰⁰his signs, which are great, and his wonders, which are mighty. For his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power continues from generation to generation