Daniel 3-4

New King James Version

The Image of Gold

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was ^[a]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ²And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, 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 which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴Then a herald cried ^[b]aloud: “To you it is commanded, ^(A)O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; ⁶and whoever does not fall down and worship shall ^(B)be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

⁷So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

⁸Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans ^(C)came forward and accused the Jews. ⁹They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ^(D)“O king, live forever! ¹⁰You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; ¹¹and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ¹²^(E)There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have ^(F)not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar, in ^(G)rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, ^(H)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^(I)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ^(J)we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷If that is the case, our ^(K)God whom we serve is able to ^(L)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ^(M)worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Saved in Fiery Trial

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²²Therefore, because the king’s command was ^[c]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. ²³And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his ^[d]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

²⁵“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, ^(N)walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like ^(O)the^[e] Son of God.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the ^[f]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the ^(P)Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. ²⁷And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men ^(Q)on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His ^(R)Angel^[g] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ²⁹^(S)Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the ^(T)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be ^(U)cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; ^(V)because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

³⁰Then the king ^[h]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4 Nebuchadnezzar the king,

^(W)To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

²I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders ^(X)that the Most High God has worked for me.

³^(Y)How great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is ^(Z)an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.

⁴I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. ⁵I saw a dream which made me afraid, ^(AA)and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head ^(AB)troubled me. ⁶Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷^(AC)Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸But at last Daniel came before me ^(AD)(his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; ^(AE)in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: ⁹“Belteshazzar, ^(AF)chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

¹⁰“These were the visions of my head while on my bed:

I was looking, and behold,
^(AG)A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
¹¹The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
¹²Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
^(AH)The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.

¹³“I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was ^(AI)a watcher, ^(AJ)a holy one, coming down from heaven. ¹⁴He cried ^[i]aloud and said thus:

^(AK)‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
^(AL)Let the beasts get out from under it,
And the birds from its branches.
¹⁵Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
In the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
¹⁶Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven ^(AM)times^[j] pass over him.

¹⁷‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order ^(AN)that the living may know
^(AO)That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
^(AP)Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the ^(AQ)lowest of men.’

¹⁸“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, ^(AR)since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, ^(AS)for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Daniel Explains the Second Dream

¹⁹Then Daniel, ^(AT)whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts ^(AU)troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may ^(AV)the dream ^[k]concern those who hate you, and its interpretation ^[l]concern your enemies!

²⁰^(AW)“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, ²¹whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home— ²²^(AX)it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, ^(AY)and your dominion to the end of the earth.

²³^(AZ)“And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, ^(BA)and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven ^[m]times pass over him’; ²⁴this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: ²⁵They shall ^(BB)drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you ^(BC)eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven ^[n]times shall pass over you, ^(BD)till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and ^(BE)gives it to whomever He chooses.

²⁶“And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that ^(BF)Heaven^[o] rules. ²⁷Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; ^(BG)break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. ^(BH)Perhaps there may be ^(BI)a ^[p]lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

²⁸All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹At the end of the twelve months he was walking ^[q]about the royal palace of Babylon. ³⁰The king ^(BJ)spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

³¹^(BK)While the word was still in the king’s mouth, ^(BL)a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! ³²And ^(BM)they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven ^[r]times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

³³That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

³⁴And ^(BN)at the end of the ^[s]time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him ^(BO)who lives forever:

For His dominion is ^(BP)an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
³⁵^(BQ)All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
^(BR)He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
^(BS)No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, ^(BT)“What have You done?”

³⁶At the same time my reason returned to me, ^(BU)and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was ^(BV)restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was ^(BW)added to me. ³⁷Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, ^(BX)praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, ^(BY)all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. ^(BZ)And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.