Nebukadnessar Yɛ Sikakɔkɔɔ Ohoni
1Ɔhene Nebukadnessar yɛɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ohoni bi a na ne sorokɔ yɛ anammɔn aduɔkron, na ne trɛw nso yɛ anammɔn akron. Wɔde sii Dura tataw so wɔ Babiloniaman mu. 2Afei ɔde nkra kɔmaa ahenemma, mpanyimfo, amradofo, afotufo, sanaafo, atemmufo, asennifo ne ɔman no mu mpanyimfo se, wɔmmra ohoni a wɔreda no adi no afahyɛ ase. 3Bere a ahenemma, mpanyimfo, amradofo, afotufo, sanaafo, atemmufo, asennifo ne ɔman no mu mpanyimfo no behyiae sɛ wɔrebɛda ohoni a Ɔhene Nebukadnessar de asi hɔ adi no, wobegyinagyinaa ohoni no anim.
4Na wɔbɔɔ dawuru teɛɛ mu se, “Nnipa ahorow ne aman ahorow ne kasa ahorow nyinaa muntie nea ɔhene ahyɛ sɛ monyɛ! 5Sɛ mote abɛn, odurugya, sanku, sankuten, atɛntɛbɛn ne nnwontode ahorow nyinaa nnyigyei a, monkotow fam, na monsɔre ɔhene Nebukadnessar sikakɔkɔɔ ohoni no. 6Obiara a wankotow fam ansɔre ohoni no dɔn no ara mu no, wɔde no bɛto fononoo a ogya redɛw wɔ mu framfram mu.”
7Enti bere a wɔtee abɛn, odurugya sanku, sankuten, sanku, bɛnta, atɛntɛbɛn ne nnwontode ahorow nyinaa nnyigyei no, nnipa no nyinaa ne aman ahorow ne wɔn a wɔka kasa ahorow nyinaa kotow fam, sɔree ohoni a Ɔhene Nebukadnessar de asi hɔ no.
8Nanso Kaldeafo no bi kɔɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn kɔtoatoa faa Yudafo no ho se, 9“Nana wo nkwa so! 10Wohyɛɛ mmara maa ɔmanfo se, obiara te abɛn, odurugya sanku, sanbuka sanku, bɛnta, atɛntɛbɛn ne nnwontode ahorow nyinaa nnyigyei a, ɔnkotow fam, na ɔnsɔre sika ohoni no, 11na obiara a wantie ankɔtow ansɔre ohoni no, wɔde no bɛto fononoo a ogya redɛw framfram wɔ mu no mu. 12Nanso Nana, Yudafo bi a wɔn din de Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego a wode wɔn atuatua Babiloniaman ano no abu wo animtiaa, na wɔansɔre wʼanyame anaa sikakɔkɔɔ honi a wode asi hɔ no.”
13Ɛhɔ ara, Nebukadnessar bo fuw yiye, na ɔhyɛe se, wɔmfa Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego mmra nʼanim. Wɔde wɔn bae no, 14Nebukadnessar bisaa wɔn se, “Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego, ɛyɛ nokware sɛ, moansɔre mʼanyame ne sikakɔkɔɔ honi a mede asi hɔ no? 15Mɛma mo kwan bio. Sɛ mote abɛn, odurugya sanku, sanbuka sanku, bɛnta, atɛntɛbɛn ne nnwontode ahorow nyinaa nnyigyei no, na mokotow fam, na mosɔre ohoni a mayɛ no a, na me ne mo nni asɛm biara. Na sɛ mopo a, wɔbɛtow mo agu fononoo a ogya redɛw wɔ mu no mu prɛko pɛ. Sɛ ɛba saa a, nyame bɛn na obetumi agye mo afi me tumi ase?”
16Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego buae se, “Nana Nebukadnessar, yennye nni sɛ ho hia sɛ yeyi yɛn ho ano wɔ wʼanim. 17Sɛ wɔtow yɛn gu fononoo a ogya redɛw wɔ mu no mu a, Onyankopɔn a yɛsom no no begye yɛn. Nana, obegye yɛn afi wo tumi ase. 18Na sɛ ɛba sɛ wannye yɛn mpo a, Nana nte ase sɛ, sɔre de, yɛrensɔre wʼanyame anaa sikakɔkɔɔ honi a wode asi hɔ no da biara da.”
Wɔde Mmerante Baasa Gu Fononoo Gyatannaa Mu
19Nebukadnessar bo fuw Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego yiye, na wampɛ wɔn anim ahwɛ. Ɔhyɛɛ sɛ, wɔmma fononoo no gya no hyew no nnɔ mmɔho ason. 20Afei ɔhyɛɛ nʼasraafo mu mmarima ahoɔdenfo pa ara no bi sɛ, wɔnkyekyere Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego, na wɔntow wɔn ngu fononoo no mu gyatannaa no mu. 21Enti wɔkyekyeree saa nkurɔfo yi a wɔhyehyɛ wɔn ntwontwo, wɔn ntade, wɔn mmotiri ne wɔn ntama papee, tow wɔn guu fononoo gya a ɛredɛw no mu. 22Na esiane ɔhene no abufuwtraso ne ɔhyɛ a ama fononoo no adɔ hyerehyere mmoroso no nti, asraafo a wɔde Sadrak, Mesak, ne Abednego regu fononoo no mu no wuwuu wɔ ogyatannaa no ano. 23Na Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego a wɔakyekyere wɔn papee no hwehwee ogya fononoo a ɛredɛw no mu.
24Nebukadnessar gu so rehwɛ no, prɛko pɛ, ohuruw teɛɛ mu ahodwiriw so guu nʼafotufo no so se, “Ɛnyɛ mmarima baasa na yɛkyekyee wɔn tow wɔn guu fononoo no mu?”
Wobuae se, “Yiw, Nana, yɛyɛɛ saa pɛpɛɛpɛ.”
25Nebukadnessar teɛɛ mu se. “Monhwɛ! Mihu nnipa baanan a biribiara nkyekyeree wɔn sɛ wɔnenam ogya no mu. Ogyatannaa no nhyew wɔn. Onipa a ɔto so anan no te sɛ anyame ba bi!”
26Na Nebukadnessar twiw bɛn fononoo a ogya redɛw wɔ mu no pon ano, sɛnea obetumi, teɛɛ mu se, “Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego, ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn asomfo, mumfi mmra! Mommra ha!”
Ɛno nti, Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego fii ogya no mu bae. 27Afei, ahenemma, mpanyimfo, amradofo ne afotufo betwaa wɔn ho hyiae, na wohuu sɛ, ogya no anka wɔn. Wɔn tinwi mpo ho anka. Na wɔn ntade anhyew. Na wusiw mpo mmɔn wɔn ho.
28Afei Nebukadnessar kae se, “Ayeyi nka Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego Nyankopɔn. Ɔsomaa ne bɔfo, ma wobegyee nʼasomfo a wogye no di no. Wobuu me, ɔhene mmara so, na wɔde wɔn honam mae, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wɔrensom na wɔrensɔre anyame biara, gye wɔn Nyankopɔn. 29Ne saa nti, merehyɛ saa mmara yi sɛ ɔman, nkurɔfo ne kasa ahorow nyinaa mu, obiara a ɔbɛka Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego Nyankopɔn ho abususɛm no, ampa ara wobetwitwa wɔn mu asinasin na wɔadwiriw wɔn afi ama adan wura. Nyame biara nni hɔ a obetumi agye nkwa sɛɛ yi.”
30Afei, Ɔhene Nebukadnessar maa Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego dibea a ɛkorɔn yiye wɔ Babiloniaman mu.
The image of gold and the blazing furnace
1King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,3:1 That is, about 27 metres high and 2.7 metres wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4Then the herald loudly proclaimed, ‘Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.’
7Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8At this time some astrologers3:8 Or Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘May the king live for ever! 10Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.’
13Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?’
16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us3:17 Or If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty’s hand. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’
19Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude towards them changed. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual 20and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’
They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’
25He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’
26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.’
30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
