¹King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its width six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

²And King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

³Then the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces were gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and were standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁴And the herald cried out loudly, "To you it is said, O peoples, nations, and tongues:

⁵At the set time when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you shall fall down and bow down to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

⁶And whoever does not fall down and bow down will at that very moment be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

⁷Therefore at that very time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and bowed down to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

⁸Therefore at that very time certain men of the Chaldeans came forward and slandered the Jews.

⁹They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, "O king, live forever!

¹⁰You, O king, have made a decree that every person who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music shall fall down and bow down to the image of gold.

¹¹And whoever does not fall down and bow down shall be thrown into the middle of the blazing furnace of fire.

¹²There are Jewish men whom you appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. These men have not paid heed to you, O king; they do not serve your god, and they do not bow down to the image of gold that you set up.

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king.

¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, "Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods and do not bow down to the image of gold that I set up?

¹⁵Now if you are ready, at the set time when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and bow down to the image that I made—but if you will not bow down, that very moment you will be thrown into the midst of the blazing furnace of fire; and who is the god who will rescue you from my hands?

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need to give you a reply about this matter.

¹⁷If there is our God whom we serve, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and from your hand, O king, he will rescue us.

¹⁸But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your god, and we will not bow down to the golden image that you set up."

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the image of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He answered and said to heat the furnace seven times more than it was seen fit to heat it.

²⁰And to the men, mighty ones of strength who were in his army, he gave the order to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.

²¹Then these men were bound in their robes, their trousers, their turbans, and their garments, and were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

²²Therefore, because the king's word was harsh and the furnace was heated exceedingly, the flame of the fire killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

²³And these men, the three of them, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell, bound, into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was alarmed and rose in haste; he answered and said to his counselors, "Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "Certainly, O king."

²⁵He answered and said, "Look, I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and no harm is on them; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods."

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of the blazing fire. He answered and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came out from the midst of the fire.

²⁷And the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw these men: the fire had had no power over their bodies, the hair of their heads was not singed, their robes were not changed, and the smell of fire had not passed over them.

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants, who trusted in him; they set aside the king's word and gave up their bodies so as not to serve or bow down to any god except their own God."

²⁹And from me a decree is set: any people, nation, or language that says anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be made limbs, and its house shall be set as a refuse heap; because there is no other god who is able to rescue like this."

³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.