The Lantern

Daniel3

Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold: its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the law-officers, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the law-officers, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

And the herald called with force: To you it is said, O peoples, nations and tongues:

at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the trigon, the harp, the bagpipe and every kind of music, you are to fall down and bow to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

And whoever does not fall down and bow, in that same hour will be thrown into the midst of a furnace of burning fire.

Because of this, at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the trigon, the harp and every kind of music, all the peoples, the nations and the tongues fell down and bowed to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Accused

Because of this, at that time, certain Chaldean men came near and accused the Jews.

They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: O king, live forever!

You, O king, have set a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the trigon, the harp and the bagpipe and every kind of music is to fall down and bow to the image of gold;

and whoever does not fall down and bow is to be thrown into the midst of a furnace of burning fire.

There are Jewish men whom you have appointed over the work of the province of Babylon — Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men have set no regard on you, O king: they do not serve your gods, and to the image of gold that you have set up they do not bow.

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and wrath, said to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Then these men were brought before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them: Is it of purpose, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods, and to the image of gold that I have set up you do not bow?

Now, if you are ready, at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the zither, the trigon, the harp and the bagpipe and every kind of music, to fall down and bow to the image that I have made — and if you do not bow, in that same hour you will be thrown into the midst of a furnace of burning fire. And who is the god who will rescue you from my hands?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the king: Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to return you a word about this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of burning fire, and from your hand, O king, he will rescue.

And if not — let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and to the image of gold that you have set up we will not bow.

The Fiery Furnace

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered and said to heat the furnace one seven times beyond what was seen fit to heat it.

And to men, mighty men of force who were in his army, he said to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, to throw them into the furnace of burning fire.

Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their caps and their garments, and were thrown into the midst of the furnace of burning fire.

Because of this, since the word of the king was harsh and the furnace exceedingly heated, the flame of the fire killed those men who had taken up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell bound into the midst of the furnace of burning fire.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose in haste. He answered and said to his ministers: Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king: Certain, O king.

He answered and said: See, I am looking at four men loosed, walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no harm in them; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of burning fire. He answered and said: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out from the midst of the fire.

And the satraps, the prefects and the governors and the ministers of the king were gathered, looking at these men over whose bodies the fire had no power: the hair of their head was not singed, and their cloaks were not changed, and the smell of fire had not passed on them.

Nebuchadnezzar answered and said: Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him. And they changed the word of the king and gave their bodies, so as not to serve and not to bow to any god except their own God.

And from me a decree is set, that any people, nation or tongue that speaks error against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego will be made into pieces, and his house will be set as a refuse heap — because there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.

Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego prosper in the province of Babylon.