Daniel Chapter 3

Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue

¹ Nebucharnezzar made a gold image 90ft tall and 18ft wide, and set it up on the Plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. ² Then he sent word to gather the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image. ³ They came and stood in front of it. ⁴ The herald declared loudly,

“Every people, nation, and language group, ⁵ when you hear the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, harp, pipes, and other instruments, fall down and worship the gold image the king has set up. ⁶ Whoever doesn’t will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace.”

⁷ So when the people heard the instruments, they all fell down to the image in worship.

Dan 3:1-7

The Blazing Furnace

⁸ Some astrologers came and accused the Jews. 

⁹ “Long live the King! ¹⁰ You decreed that when everybody hears the music, they’re to fall down and worship the gold image. ¹¹ Whoever doesn’t, will be thrown in the blazing furnace. ¹² Some Jews you appointed to administer the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego—have disregarded you. They don’t serve your gods or worship your gold image.”

¹³ In a rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring them in.

Dan 3:8-13

¹⁴ “Is it true you won’t serve my gods or worship the gold image I set up? ¹⁵ If you’re ready, when you hear the instruments, fall down in worship to the image I’ve made. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown directly into the blazing furnace. What god can deliver you from me?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered him,

“We don’t need to answer you about that. ¹⁷ If that happens, the God we serve can deliver us from the blazing furnace and from you. ¹⁸ Even if he doesn’t, we’re not going to serve your gods or worship the image you set up.        

Dan 3:14-18

¹⁹ He was irate and changed his attitude toward them. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal, ²⁰ and commanded some brave soldiers from his army to tie them up and throw them in. ²¹ They tied them up in their cloaks, tunics, turbans, and other clothes to throw them in. ²² Since the king’s command was strict and the furnace was extremely hot, the fire killed the soldiers that carried them. ²³ They fell into the blazing furnace still tied up. 

²⁴ Nebuchadnezzar was astounded. He jumped up and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men in the fire?”

“Yes.”

²⁵ He answered, “Look! I see four men not tied up, walking around in the fire unharmed. The fourth looks like a god!”  

Dan 3:19-25

²⁶ He went up to the door of the blazing furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, come out of there, you servants of the Most High God. Come here!” They came out of the fire. ²⁷ The satraps, prefects, governors, and king’s high officials gathered around and saw that the fire hadn’t burned their bodies, singed their hair, or scorched their clothes; and there wasn’t any burnt smell on them.

²⁸ Nebuchaznezzar said,

“Bless Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s God. He sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted him. They set aside my command and yielded up their bodies not to serve or worship any god but their own. ²⁹ So I decree that any people, nation, or language group that says anything offensive about their God will be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to trash piles. No other god that can deliver like that.”

³⁰ The king advanced them even more in the province of Babylon.                    

Dan 3:26-30