1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue, sixty cubits tall and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
2 King Nebuchadnezzar then sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects and governors, the counselors, treasurers, judges and magistrates, and all the provincial officials, to attend the dedication of the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3 So the satraps, prefects and governors, the counselors, treasurers, judges and magistrates, and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood in front of the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 A herald called out loudly, "This is the order for you, peoples, nations and languages:
5 the moment you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music, you must fall down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6 Anyone who does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire."
7 So the moment all the peoples heard the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshiped the gold statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Just then some Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews.
9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever!
10 You, O king, issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue,
11 and that anyone who does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.
12 There are some Jews whom you put in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these men, O king, take no notice of you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
13 Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, ordered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego brought in, and these men were brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up?
15 Now, if you are ready, the moment you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the statue I made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need to give you an answer on this matter.
17 If so it must be, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
18 But even if he does not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was so full of rage that the look on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated,
20 and he ordered some of the strongest men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.
21 So these men were tied up, still wearing their cloaks, trousers, caps and other clothing, and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.
22 Since the king's order was so harsh and the furnace so extremely hot, the flames of the fire killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego up.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell, still tied up, into the furnace of blazing fire.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and leaped to his feet. He asked his counselors, "Wasn't it three men we tied up and threw into the fire?" They answered the king, "Certainly, O king."
25 He answered and said, "Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods."
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went up to the opening of the furnace of blazing fire and called out, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire.
27 The satraps, prefects, governors and royal counselors crowded around and saw that the fire had had no power over the bodies of these men: not a hair on their heads was singed, their cloaks were unchanged, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They defied the king's order and handed over their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
29 So I issue a decree that any people, nation or language that says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will be cut to pieces and their houses turned into rubbish heaps, for there is no other god who can rescue like this."
30 Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego prosper in the province of Babylon.