Daniel 3

3 ¹ King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, about ninety feet tall and nine feet wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ² Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³ So the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁴ Then the herald proclaimed loudly, "Peoples, nations, and languages — you are commanded: ⁵ as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the zither, the bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the midst of a blazing fiery furnace."

⁷ Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the zither, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Three Men Who Would Not Bow

⁸ At that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "King, may you live forever! ¹⁰ You, king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the zither, the bagpipe, and every kind of music shall fall down and worship the golden image, ¹¹ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the midst of a blazing fiery furnace. ¹² There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, king, pay no attention to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in furious rage, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So these men were brought before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the zither, the bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, good. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of a blazing fiery furnace. And who is the god who can deliver you out of my hands?"

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If our Father whom we serve is able to deliver us, he will deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

The Father Walks Into the Fire

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and his expression changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ And he commanded some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the blazing fiery furnace. ²¹ So these men were bound in their robes, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the midst of the blazing fiery furnace. ²² Because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was so hot, the flames of the fire killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the midst of the blazing fiery furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and jumped to his feet. He said to his counselors, "Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered the king, "That is true, king."

²⁵ He said, "But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not harmed; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." ¹ 1 v25 The king saw a fourth figure in the flames — the saving presence of our Father, who did not leave his servants alone in the fire.

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the blazing fiery furnace and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire.

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

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I make a decree: any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their homes shall be reduced to rubble, for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.