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 90 feet high and 9 feet wide or about 27 meters high and 2.7 meters wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, 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, advisers, 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 worshiped 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 forever! 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 toward them changed. He ordered the furnace 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 advisers, “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 advisers 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.
金像和火窯
1尼布甲尼撒王造了一尊高二十七米、寬兩米七的金像，立在巴比倫省的杜拉平原。 2他派人召集總督、行政官、省長、謀士、庫房官、審判官、司法官及各省的所有官員，前來參加他所立之像的敬奉禮。 3於是總督、行政官、省長、謀士、庫房官、審判官、司法官及各省的官員，齊來參加尼布甲尼撒王所立之像的敬奉禮，站在那像面前。
4傳令官大聲宣佈說：「各族、各邦、各語種的人啊，王有令， 5『你們一聽見角、笛、弦琴、豎琴、瑟、笙等各種樂器奏響，就要叩拜尼布甲尼撒王所立的金像。 6不叩拜的人必立刻被拋進烈焰熊熊的火窯。』」 7於是，各族、各邦、各語種的人一聽見角、笛、弦琴、豎琴、瑟等各種樂器的聲音，就都叩拜尼布甲尼撒王所立的金像。
8那時，有幾個占星家前來控告猶大人。 9他們對尼布甲尼撒王說：「願王萬歲！ 10王啊，你已下令，角、笛、弦琴、豎琴、瑟、笙等各種樂器一奏響，每個人都要叩拜金像。 11不叩拜的人必被扔進烈焰熊熊的火窯。 12然而，王啊，有幾個猶大人，就是王委派負責巴比倫省事務的沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌，卻不理會你的命令，不事奉你的神明，也不祭拜你立的金像。」 13尼布甲尼撒王勃然大怒，下令將沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌帶來。於是他們被帶到王面前。 14尼布甲尼撒問他們：「沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌啊，你們真的不事奉我的神明，不祭拜我立的金像嗎？ 15現在你們準備好，一聽見角、笛、弦琴、豎琴、瑟、笙等各種樂器的聲音，就要叩拜我造的像。不然，必立刻將你們扔進烈焰熊熊的火窯。那時什麼神明能從我手中救你們呢？」
16沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌答道：「尼布甲尼撒啊，我們無需為此事回答你。 17王啊，我們若真被扔進烈焰熊熊的火窯，我們所事奉的上帝必能救我們脫離火窯，祂必從你手中救我們。 18即或不然，王啊，你要明白，我們也不會事奉你的神明或祭拜你立的金像。」
19尼布甲尼撒怒氣填胸，向沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌大發雷霆，下令將火窯燒得比平時熱七倍， 20又命令軍中的勇士將沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌綁起來，扔進烈焰熊熊的火窯。 21這三人穿著外袍、褲子等衣物，戴著頭巾，被綁著扔進烈焰熊熊的火窯。 22因為王的命令緊急，窯燒得非常熱，火焰燒死了那些抬沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌的人。 23沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌三人被綁著落入烈焰熊熊的火窯。
24這時，尼布甲尼撒王驚奇地跳起來，問謀士：「我們綁起來扔進火裡的不是三個人嗎？」他們答道：「王啊，是的。」 25王說：「看啊，我見有四個人在火中走來走去，沒有被綁著，也沒有被燒傷，第四個人的面貌好像神明的兒子。」
26於是，尼布甲尼撒走近火窯的門，喊道：「至高上帝的僕人沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌啊，出來吧，到這裡來吧。」沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌便從火中出來。 27那些總督、行政官、省長和王的謀士上前圍觀，見火焰沒有燒傷他們的身體，他們的頭髮沒有燒焦，衣服沒有燒壞，身上甚至沒有火燎的氣味。 28尼布甲尼撒說：「沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌的上帝當受稱頌！祂差遣天使拯救祂的僕人。他們信靠祂，無視王命，寧肯捨命也不供奉、祭拜其他神明。 29現在我下令，不論何民、何邦、何族，若譭謗沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌的上帝，必被碎屍萬段，他們的家必淪為廢墟，因為沒有別的神明能這樣施行拯救。」 30於是，王讓沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌在巴比倫省身居高位。
