1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was
threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof 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 princes, the governors, and the
captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, 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 princes, the
governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors,
the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered
together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king
had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set
up.
4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people,
nations, and languages, 5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of
musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king hath set up:
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth
shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the
people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the
Jews. 9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for
ever. 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall
hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and
dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the
golden image: 11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he
should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 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 his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden
image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye
hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and
dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image
which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the
same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God
that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not
careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will
deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto
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: therefore he spake, and
commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than
it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men that
were 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 coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and
were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore
because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding
hot, the flame of the fire slew 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 astonied, and rose up in haste, and
spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound
into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O
king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the
midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is
like the Son of God.
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, and come hither. Then
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors,
being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had
no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats
changed, nor the smell of fire had 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 have changed the king's word, and yielded 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 speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be
made a dunghill:
because there is no other God that can deliver after
this sort.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in
the province of Babylon.
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Comments by Joan Boney
There is such humility displayed by Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego,
17 If it be so, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will
deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto
thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up.
God is able to deliver us ... but even if God does not choose to deliver us, we will not serve the gods of this world.
In this case, God chose to deliver them.
In the case of John the Baptist, God allowed Herod to behead John.
Yet in both cases, the children of God honored God and will be rewarded forever by God.