In the eighteenth year, Nabouchodonosor the king, who governed cities and provinces and all who dwelt upon the earth from India as far as Ethiopia, made a golden image; its height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits, and he set it up on the plain within the enclosure of the province of Babylonia. In the eighteenth year king Nabouchodonosor made a golden image; its height was sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits, and he set it up on the plain of Deira in the province of Babylon.
And Nabouchodonosor, king of kings and lord of the whole inhabited world, sent to gather together all the nations and tribes and tongues — satraps, generals, district rulers and consuls, administrators, and those in authority throughout each province, and all who were throughout the inhabited world — to come to the dedication of the golden image that king Nabouchodonosor had set up. And he sent to gather the consuls and the generals and the district rulers, the leaders and the potentates and those in authority and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that king Nabouchodonosor had set up.
And those named above stood opposite the image. And the district rulers, consuls, generals, leaders, great potentates, those in authority and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered for the dedication of the image that king Nabouchodonosor had set up, and they stood before the image that Nabouchodonosor had set up.
And the herald proclaimed to the crowds: 'To you the command is given, O nations and provinces, peoples and tongues: And the herald cried aloud with strength: 'To you it is said, O peoples, tribes, tongues:
Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lyre, the sambuke and the psaltery, the symphony and every kind of music, fall down and do obeisance to the golden image that king Nabouchodonosor set up.' At whatever hour you hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lyre, the sambuke and the psaltery and the symphony and every kind of music, fall down and do obeisance to the golden image that king Nabouchodonosor set up.'
And everyone who does not fall down and do obeisance — they shall throw him into the burning fiery furnace. And whoever does not fall down and do obeisance shall that same hour be thrown into the burning fiery furnace.
And at that time, when all the nations heard the sound of the trumpet and every strain of music, all the nations, tribes and tongues fell down and did obeisance, before it, to the golden image that Nabouchodonosor had set up. And it came to pass, when the peoples heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lyre, the sambuke and the psaltery and the symphony and every kind of music, all the peoples, tribes and tongues fell down and were doing obeisance to the golden image that king Nabouchodonosor had set up.
You, O king, gave command and decreed that every person who hears the sound of the trumpet and every strain of music should fall down and do obeisance to the golden image; You, O king, laid down a decree concerning every person who hears the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lyre, the sambuke and the psaltery and the symphony and every kind of music,
and whoever does not fall down and do obeisance shall be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. and does not fall down and do obeisance to the golden image — he shall be thrown into the burning fiery furnace.
But there are certain Judean men whom you appointed over the province of Babylonia — Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago. Those men did not fear your commandment; they did not serve your idol, and they did not do obeisance to your golden image that you set up.' There are Judean men whom you appointed over the works of the province of Babylon — Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago. Those men did not obey your decree, O king; they do not serve your gods and they do not do obeisance to the golden image that you set up.'
Then Nabouchodonosor, enraged with anger, gave orders to bring Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago; then the men were brought to the king. Then Nabouchodonosor in rage and anger said to bring Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago; and they were brought before the king.
And king Nabouchodonosor, looking them over, said to them: 'Why, Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago, do you not serve my gods and not do obeisance to the golden image that I set up? And Nabouchodonosor answered and said to them: 'Is it true, Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago, that you do not serve my gods and do not do obeisance to the golden image that I set up?
And now, if you are ready, the moment you hear the trumpet and every strain of music, to fall down and do obeisance to the golden image that I set up — well and good; but if not, know that, if you do not do obeisance, you shall that very hour be thrown into the burning fiery furnace; and what sort of god will deliver you out of my hands?' Now then, if you are ready, so that whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lyre, the sambuke and the psaltery and the symphony and every kind of music you will fall down and do obeisance to the image that I made — well; but if you do not do obeisance, you shall that same hour be thrown into the burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?'
And Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago answered and said to king Nabouchodonosor: 'O king, we have no need to answer you concerning this command. And Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago answered and said to king Nabouchodonosor: 'We have no need to answer you concerning this matter.
For there is a God in the heavens, one, our Lord, whom we fear, who is able to deliver us out of the furnace of fire; and out of your hands, O king, he will deliver us. For there is a God whom we serve, able to deliver us out of the burning fiery furnace; and out of your hands, O king, he will rescue us.
And then it will be plain to you that we neither serve your idol nor do obeisance to your golden image that you set up.' And if not, be it known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods and do not do obeisance to the golden image that you set up.'
Then Nabouchodonosor was filled with rage, and the form of his face was altered, and he gave orders that the furnace be heated seven times more than it ought to have been heated. Then Nabouchodonosor was filled with rage, and the look of his face was altered toward Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago, and he said to heat up the furnace seven times over, until it should be heated to the utmost.
And he ordered the strongest men of those in the army to bind Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago hand and foot and throw them into the burning fiery furnace. And he told men mighty in strength to fetter Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then those men were bound hand and foot, still wearing their sandals and their turbans upon their heads, together with their clothing, and they were thrown into the furnace. Then those men were fettered together with their trousers and turbans and leggings and their garments, and they were thrown into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Since the king's order was pressing and the furnace had been heated seven times more than before, the men who had been detailed bound them hand and foot and brought them to the furnace and threw them into it. Since the king's word prevailed, and the furnace had been heated exceedingly.
Now as for the men who had bound Azarias and those with him, the flame that came out of the furnace set them on fire and killed them; but they themselves were preserved. And these three, Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago, fell bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Thus, then, Ananias and Azarias and Misael prayed and sang hymns to the Lord, when the king had ordered them to be thrown into the furnace. And they walked about in the midst of the flame, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord.
Then Azarias stood and prayed thus, and opening his mouth he made confession to the Lord together with his companions, in the midst of the fire, while the Chaldeans were stoking the furnace beneath exceedingly; and they said: And Azarias stood up and prayed thus, and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire he said:
'Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praiseworthy and glorified is your name for ever. 'Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praiseworthy are you; and glorified is your name for ever.
For you are righteous in all that you have done to us, and all your works are true, and your ways are straight, and all your judgements are true. For you are righteous in all that you have done to us, and all your works are true, and straight are your ways, and all your judgements are truth.
And you have executed true judgements in all that you have brought upon us and upon your holy city, the city of our fathers, Ierousalem; because in truth and in judgement you have done all these things on account of our sins. And you have executed true judgements in all that you have brought upon us and upon the holy city, the city of our fathers, Ierousalem; because in truth and in judgement you have brought all these things on account of our sins.
For we have sinned in all things and acted lawlessly in turning away from you, and we have gone utterly astray in all things, and we have not obeyed the commandments of your law. For we have sinned and acted lawlessly in turning away from you, and we have gone utterly astray in all things, and we have not listened to your commandments.
Neither did we keep them nor did we do as you commanded us, that it might go well with us. Neither did we keep them nor did we do as you commanded us, that it might go well with us.
And now, all that you have brought upon us and all that you have done to us, you have done in true judgement. And all that you have brought upon us and all that you have done to us, you have done in true judgement.
And you have handed us over into the hands of our enemies, lawless and most hateful rebels, and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the earth. And you have handed us over into the hands of enemies, lawless, most hateful rebels, and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the earth.
And now we cannot open our mouth; shame and reproach have come upon your servants and upon those who revere you. And now we cannot open our mouth; shame and reproach have come upon your servants and upon those who revere you.
Do not hand us over utterly, for the sake of your name, and do not annul your covenant. Do not, we pray, hand us over utterly, for the sake of your name, and do not annul your covenant.
And do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraam your beloved, and for the sake of Isaak your servant, and Israel your holy one, And do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraam your beloved, and for the sake of Isaak your servant, and Israel your holy one,
as you spoke to them, saying that you would multiply their seed like the stars of heaven and like the sand that is beside the shore of the sea. to whom you spoke, saying that you would multiply their seed like the stars of heaven and like the sand that is beside the shore of the sea.
For, O Master, we have been made least among all the nations, and we are humbled in all the earth this day because of our sins. For, O Master, we have been made least among all the nations, and we are humbled in all the earth this day because of our sins.
And at this time there is no ruler, nor prophet, nor leader, nor whole burnt offering, nor sacrifice, nor oblation, nor incense, nor any place to make an offering before you and to find mercy.
But with a broken soul and a humbled spirit may we be accepted, as with whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and as with tens of thousands of fat lambs.
So let our sacrifice be before you today, and make atonement behind you, for there is no shame for those who trust in you; and let it be brought to completion behind you. So let our sacrifice be before you today, and let it be accomplished behind you, for there shall be no shame for those who trust in you.
And the king's attendants who cast them in did not cease stoking the furnace; and when they had cast the three in all at once into the furnace, the furnace was red-hot at sevenfold its heat; and when they cast them in, those who cast them in were above them, while others kindled beneath them naphtha and tow and pitch and brushwood. And the king's attendants who had cast them in did not cease stoking the furnace with naphtha and pitch and tow and brushwood.
Then the three took it up as from one mouth, and sang hymns and glorified and blessed and exalted God in the furnace, saying: Then the three, as from one mouth, sang hymns and glorified and blessed God in the furnace, saying:
Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praiseworthy and highly exalted unto the ages; and blessed is the holy name of your glory, and exceedingly praiseworthy and exceedingly exalted unto all the ages.
Bless the Lord, chill and cold; sing hymns to him and highly exalt him unto the ages. Bless the Lord, cold and scorching heat; sing hymns to him and highly exalt him unto the ages.
Bless the Lord, you four-footed beasts and wild animals of the earth; sing hymns to him and highly exalt him unto the ages. Bless the Lord, all you wild beasts and cattle; sing hymns to him and highly exalt him unto the ages.
Bless the Lord, O Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael; sing hymns to him and highly exalt him unto the ages; for he has taken us out of Hades and saved us from the hand of death, and rescued us from the midst of the burning flame, and redeemed us out of the fire.
And it came to pass, when the king heard them singing hymns, that he stood and watched them alive; then Nebuchadnezzar the king marvelled and rose up in haste and said to his friends: And Nebuchadnezzar heard them singing hymns, and he marvelled and rose up in haste and said to his nobles, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” And they said to the king, “Truly, O king.”
“Behold, I see four men unbound, walking about in the fire, and no destruction has come upon them, and the appearance of the fourth is the likeness of an angel of God.” And the king said, “Behold, I see four men unbound and walking about in the midst of the fire, and there is no corruption in them, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.”
And the king came to the door of the furnace burning with fire and called them by name: “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the God of gods, the Most High, come out of the fire!” So then the men came out of the midst of the fire. Then Nebuchadnezzar came to the door of the furnace of burning fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire.
And the consuls, the district rulers and the heads of the clans and the king's friends were gathered together, and they observed those men, that the fire had not touched their body, and their hair was not burned up, and their trousers were not altered, nor was there any smell of fire upon them. And the satraps and the commanders and the district rulers and the king's magnates gather together, and they observed the men, that the fire had not mastered their body, and the hair of their head was not singed, and their trousers were not altered, and there was no smell of fire upon them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king answered and said, “Blessed is the Lord God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and saved his servants who hoped in him; for they set aside the king's command and gave over their bodies to the burning, so that they might not serve nor do obeisance to any other god but their own God.” And Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants, because they trusted in him; and they altered the king's word and gave over their bodies to the fire, so that they might not serve nor do obeisance to any god but their own God.”
“And now I decree that among every nation and all tribes and all tongues, whoever blasphemes against the Lord, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, shall be dismembered, and his house shall be confiscated; for there is no other god who will be able to deliver in this way.” “And I set forth a decree: every people, tribe and tongue that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego shall be given over to destruction, and their houses to plunder; for there is no other god who will be able to rescue in this way.”
So then the king, having given Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego authority over the whole province, appointed them rulers. Then the king prospered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon, and counted them worthy to lead all the Jews who were in his kingdom.