Daniel 2:46-3:18

English Standard Version

Daniel Is Promoted

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar ^(A)fell upon his face and ^(B)paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that ^(C)an offering and ^(D)incense be offered up to him. ⁴⁷ The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your ^(E)God is God of gods and ^(F)Lord of kings, and ^(G)a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” ⁴⁸ Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great ^(H)gifts, and made him ruler over the whole ^(I)province of Babylon and ^(J)chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ Daniel made a request of the king, and he ^(K)appointed ^(L)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of ^(M)the province of Babylon. But Daniel ^(N)remained at the king's court.

Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image

3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits^[a] and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on ^(O)the plain of Dura, in ^(P)the province of Babylon. ² Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather ^(Q)the satraps, the prefects, and ^(R)the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³ Then ^(S)the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, 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 And the herald ^(T)proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O ^(U)peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵ that when you hear the ^(V)sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you ^(W)are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately ^(X)be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” ⁷ Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all ^(Y)the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

The Fiery Furnace

⁸ Therefore at that time certain ^(Z)Chaldeans ^(AA)came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. ⁹ They declared^[b] to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, ^(AB)have made a decree, that every man who ^(AC)hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, ^(AD)shall fall down and worship the golden image. ¹¹ And whoever does not fall down and worship ^(AE)shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. ¹² There are certain Jews whom you have ^(AF)appointed over the affairs of ^(AG)the province of Babylon: ^(AH)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, ^(AI)pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar ^(AJ)in furious rage commanded that ^(AK)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O 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 ^(AL)you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.^[c] But if you do not worship, ^(AM)you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And ^(AN)who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

^16 (AO)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If this be so, ^(AP)our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.^{[d] 18} But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”