Daniel 3

Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue

¹King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.[#3:1 Aramaic 60 cubits [27.6 meters] tall and 6 cubits [2.8 meters] wide.]

²Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up.

³So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.[#3:3 Aramaic the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials.]

⁴Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command!

⁵When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.[#3:5 The identification of some of these musical instruments is uncertain.]

⁶Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

⁷So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.[#3:7 Aramaic the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and other musical instruments.]

⁸But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews.[#3:8 Aramaic Chaldeans.]

⁹They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king!

¹⁰You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments.

¹¹That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace.

¹²But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in,

¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up?

¹⁵I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”[#3:15 Aramaic the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments.]

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.

¹⁷If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.

¹⁸But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

The Blazing Furnace

¹⁹Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.

²⁰Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

²¹So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments.

²²And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.

²³So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.

The Prayer of Azariah

²⁴The three men walked around in the fire, singing hymns to God and praising the Lord.[#3:24 Verses 3:24-90 and chapters 13 and 14 are not included in the Hebrew and Aramaic text of Daniel. They are here translated from Theodotion’s Greek text.]

²⁵Then Azariah stood still in the fire and prayed aloud:[#3:25 Azariah was the original Hebrew name of Abednego. See 1:6-7.]

²⁶“You are worthy of praise, O Lord, the God of our ancestors.

Your name is glorious forever!

²⁷For you are just in everything you have done.

All your works are true, your ways are right,

and all your judgments reflect the truth.

²⁸You acted justly when you caused all these things to happen to us

and to Jerusalem, the holy city of our ancestors.

Because of our sins, you acted justly, causing all this to happen.

²⁹For we have sinned and broken your law by deserting you.

We sinned greatly in everything.

³⁰We have not obeyed your commandments.

We have not done what you commanded for our own good.

³¹So in everything you have brought upon us

and everything you have done to us,

you have acted justly.

³²You have handed us over to our enemies—

lawless and detested rebels—

and to an unjust king, the worst in all the world.

³³And now there is nothing we can say.

We, your servants who worship you,

have been shamed and disgraced.

³⁴“But for your name’s sake do not abandon us forever;

do not discard your covenant.

³⁵Do not withdraw your mercy from us—

for the sake of Abraham, your beloved friend;

Isaac your servant; and Israel, your holy one.

³⁶For you promised them as many descendants

as the stars of heaven

and the sand on the seashore.

³⁷Lord, we have become the smallest of all nations,

and now we are humiliated in all the world

because of our sins.

³⁸We have no ruler or prophet or leader,

no burnt offering, sacrifice, drink offering, or incense.

We have no place to make an offering before you and find mercy.

³⁹Yet because of our contrite heart and humble spirit, please accept us

⁴⁰as if we had sacrificed burnt offerings of rams and bulls

or thousands of fat lambs.

Please regard our sacrifice this way today,

and may we follow you completely,

for those who trust in you will not be put to shame.

⁴¹And now we follow you with all our heart.

We fear you and seek your presence.

⁴²Do not let us be put to shame,

but deal with us in your patience

and in your great mercy.

⁴³Rescue us, just as you have done many other marvelous works,

and bring glory to your name, O Lord.

⁴⁴Let all who harm your servants be put to shame;

let them be humbled and deprived of all power,

and let their strength be broken.

⁴⁵Teach them that you alone are the Lord God,

glorious over the whole world.”

The Song of the Three Young Men

⁴⁶Now the king’s servants who had thrown them into the furnace continued to stoke it with oil, pitch, flax fibers, and brush,

⁴⁷and the flames shot seventy-five feet into the air above the furnace.[#3:47 Greek 49 cubits [22.5 meters].]

⁴⁸The flames also leaped out and burned some of the Babylonians who were near the furnace.[#3:48 Greek Chaldeans.]

⁴⁹But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his friends. He drove the flames out of the furnace

⁵⁰so that the middle of the furnace was as cool as a dew-laden breeze. The fire did not touch them or even bother them, nor did it harm them in any way.

⁵¹Then the three men praised, glorified, and blessed God together in the furnace. They said,

⁵²“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestors,

and worthy to be praised and exalted above all forever.

Blessed is your glorious, holy name

and worthy to be praised and exalted above all forever.

⁵³Blessed are you in the Temple, where your holy glory is,

and worthy to be honored and glorified forever.

⁵⁴Blessed are you, ruling from the throne of your kingdom,

and worthy to be honored and exalted above all forever.

⁵⁵Blessed are you, who looks into the depths

from your throne between the cherubim,

and worthy to be praised and exalted above all forever.

⁵⁶Blessed are you in the expanse of heaven

and worthy to be honored and glorified forever.

⁵⁷“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.