¶ Nebuchadnezzar the king made¹ an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province² of Babylon.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent³ to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Then the princes⁴, the governors⁵, and captains⁶, the judges⁷, the treasurers⁸, the counsellors⁹, the sheriffs¹⁰, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Then an herald cried aloud¹¹, To you it is commanded¹², O people¹³, nations, and languages,

That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet¹⁴, flute¹⁵, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer¹⁶, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

And whoso falleth¹⁷ not down and worshippeth shall the same¹⁸ hour be cast into the midst of a burning¹⁹ fiery furnace.

Therefore at that time, when²⁰ all the people²¹ heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

¶ Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused²² the Jews.

They spake and said to the king²³ Nebuchadnezzar, O king²⁴, live for ever.

¶ Thou, O king, hast made²⁵ a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet²⁶, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

There are certain²⁷ Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee²⁸: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his²⁹ rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then³⁰ they brought these men before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true³¹, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods³², nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear³³ the sound of the cornet, flute, harp³⁴, sackbut³⁵, psaltery³⁶, and dulcimer³⁷, and all kinds of musick, ye fall³⁸ down and worship the image which I have made; well:³⁹ but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who⁴⁰ is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said⁴² to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are⁴³ not careful to answer thee in this matter.

If it be so, our God⁴⁴ whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it⁴⁵ known unto thee, O king, that⁴⁶ we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

¶ Then was Nebuchadnezzar⁴⁷ full⁴⁸ of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake⁴⁹, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven⁵⁰ times more than⁵¹ it was wont to be heated.

¶ And he commanded the most mighty men⁵² that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their⁵³ coats⁵⁴, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore because the king's commandment⁵⁵ was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame⁵⁶ of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell⁵⁷ down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors⁵⁹, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king⁶⁰.

He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking⁶¹ in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt⁶²; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God⁶³.

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth⁶⁴ of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most⁶⁵ high God, come forth⁶⁶, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

And the princes⁶⁷, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon⁶⁸ whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was⁶⁹ an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed⁷⁰ be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent⁷¹ his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted⁷² in him, and have⁷³ changed the king's word, and yielded⁷⁴ their bodies, that they might not serve⁷⁵ nor worship any god, except their own God.

Therefore⁷⁶ I make a decree⁷⁷, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces⁷⁸, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because⁷⁹ there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

¶ Then the king⁸⁰ promoted⁸¹ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.