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3
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and whose breadth was six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the deputy governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, the judges, the counsellors, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, prefects, and deputy governors, the chief judges, treasurers, judges, counsellors, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud: To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time ye hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up. 6 And whoso doth not fall down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at the time when all the people heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshipped the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldaeans came near, and accused the Jews. 9 They spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11 and that whoso doth not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 Now there are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, these men, O king, have not regarded thee; they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said to them, Was it by design, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do ye not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at the time ye hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the sambuck, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have set up, well! but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. 17 Behold, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king! 18 But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the mightiest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their trousers, their under-garments, their mantles, and their other clothing, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 And because the command of the king was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said to his counsellors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king! 25 He answered and said, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth out of the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, prefects, and deputy governors, and the counsellors of the king, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants, that trusted in him, and disobeyed the command of the king, and gave up their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language which speaks anything reproachful against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and its houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other God that can deliver in this manner. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

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