Daniel · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Daniel 3 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
DRB Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 King Nabuchodonosor made a statue of gold, of sixty cubits high, and six cubits broad, and he set it up in the plain of Dura of the province of Babylon.
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nabuchodonosor the king sent to call together the nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, the rulers, and governors, and all the chief men of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, 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 nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, and rulers, and the great men that were placed in authority, and all the princes of the provinces, were gathered together to come to the dedication of the statue, which king Nabuchodonosor had set up. And they stood before the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
3 Then the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to 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 a herald cried with a strong voice: To you it is commanded, O nations, tribes, and languages:
4 Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages,
5 That in the hour that you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and of the flute, and of the harp, of the sackbut, and of the psaltery, and of the symphony, and of all kind of music; ye fall down and adore the golden statue which king Nabuchodonosor hath set up.
5 that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
6 But if any man shall not fall down and adore, he shall the same hour be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
6 Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace the same hour.”
7 Upon this therefore, at the time when all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, of the sackbut, and the psaltery, of the symphony, and of all kind of music: all the nations, tribes, and languages fell down and adored the golden statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 And presently at that very time some Chaldeans came and accused the Jews,
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and brought accusation against the Jews.
9 And said to king Nabuchodonosor: O king, live for ever:
9 They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever!
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man that shall bear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, of the sackbut, and the psaltery, of the symphony, and of all kind of music, shall prostrate himself, and adore the golden statue:
10 You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image;
11 And that if any man shall not fall down and adore, he should be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
11 and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.
12 Now there are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the works of the province of Babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: these men, O king, have slighted thy decree: they worship not thy gods, nor do they adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not respected you. They don’t serve your gods, and don’t worship the golden image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nabuchodonosor in fury, and in wrath, commanded that Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago should be brought: who immediately were brought before the king.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king.
14 And Nabuchodonosor the king spoke to them, and said: Is it true, O Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the golden statue that I have set up?
14 Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and you don’t worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now therefore if you be ready at what hour soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and symphony, and of all kind of music, prostrate yourselves, and adore the statue which I have made: but if you do not adore, you shall be cast the same hour into the furnace of burning fire: and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?
15 Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago answered and said to king Nabuchodonosor: We have no occasion to answer thee concerning this matter.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to save us from the furnace of burning fire, and to deliver us out of thy hands, O king.
17 If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
18 But if he will not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not worship thy gods, nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
19 Then was Nabuchodonosor filled with fury: and the countenance of his face was changed against Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times more than it had been accustomed to be heated.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
20 And he commanded the strongest men that were in his army, to bind the feet of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire.
20 He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 And immediately these men were bound and were cast into the furnace of burning fire, with their coats, and their caps, and their shoes, and their garments.
21 Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.
22 For the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace was heated exceedingly. And the flame of the fire slew those men that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 But these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell down bound in the midst of the furnace of burning fire.
23 These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.
24 And they walked in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.”
25 Then Azarias standing up prayed in this manner, and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire, he said:
25 He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and thy name is worthy of praise, and glorious for ever:
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. He spoke and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire.
27 For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us, and all thy works are true, and thy ways right, and all thy judgments true.
27 The local governors, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies. The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their pants weren’t changed. The smell of fire wasn’t even on them.
28 For thou hast executed true judgments in all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon Jerusalem the holy city of our fathers: for according to truth and judgment, thou hast brought all these things upon us for our sins.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.
29 For we have sinned, and committed iniquity, departing from thee: and we have trespassed in all things:
29 Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything evil 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 who is able to deliver like this.”
30 And we have not hearkened to thy commandments, nor have we observed nor done as thou hadst commanded us, that it might go well with us.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
31 Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment:
31 Not in this translation
32 And thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies that are unjust, and most wicked, and prevaricators, and to a king unjust, and most wicked beyond all that axe upon the earth.
32 Not in this translation
33 And now we cannot open our mouths: we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants, and to them that worship thee.
33 Not in this translation
34 Deliver us not up for ever, we beseech thee, for thy name’s sake, and abolish not thy covenant.
34 Not in this translation
35 And take not away thy mercy from us for the sake of Abraham thy beloved, and Isaac thy servant, and Israel thy holy one:
35 Not in this translation
36 To whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldst multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea shore.
36 Not in this translation
37 For we, O Lord, are diminished more than any nation, and are brought low in all the earth this day for our sins.
37 Not in this translation
38 Neither is there at this time prince, or leader, or prophet, or holocaust, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place of firstfruits before thee,
38 Not in this translation
39 That we may find thy mercy: nevertheless in a contrite heart and humble spirit let us be accepted.
39 Not in this translation
40 As in holocausts of rams, and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee: for there is no confusion to them that trust in thee.
40 Not in this translation
41 And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and seek thy face.
41 Not in this translation
42 Put us not to confusion, but deal. with us according to thy meekness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.
42 Not in this translation
43 And deliver us according to thy wonderful works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord:
43 Not in this translation
44 And let all them be confounded that shew evils to thy servants, let them be confounded in all thy might, and let their strength be broken.
44 Not in this translation
45 And let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God, and glorious over all the world.
45 Not in this translation
46 Now the king’s servants that had cast them in, ceased not to heat the furnace with brimstone, and tow, and pitch, and dry sticks,
46 Not in this translation
47 And the flame mounted up above the furnace nine and forty cubits:
47 Not in this translation
48 And it broke forth, and burnt such of the Chaldeans as it found near the furnace.
48 Not in this translation
49 But the angel of the Lord went down with Azarias and his companions into the furnace: and he drove the flame of the fire out of the furnace,
49 Not in this translation
50 And made the midst of the furnace like the blowing of a wind bringing dew, and the fire touched them not at all, nor troubled them, nor did them any harm.
50 Not in this translation
51 Then these three as with one mouth praised, and glorified, and blessed God in the furnace, saying:
51 Not in this translation
52 Blessed art thou, O Lord the God of our fathers: and worthy to be praised, and glorified, and exalted above all for ever: and blessed is the holy name of thy glory: and worthy to be praised, and exalted above all in all ages.
52 Not in this translation
53 Blessed art thou in the holy temple of thy glory: and exceedingly to be praised, and exceeding glorious for ever.
53 Not in this translation
54 Blessed art thou on the throne of thy kingdom, and exceedingly to be praised, and exalted above all for ever.
54 Not in this translation
55 Blessed art thou, that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and worthy to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
55 Not in this translation
56 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and worthy of praise, and glorious for ever.
56 Not in this translation
57 All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
57 Not in this translation
58 O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
58 Not in this translation
59 O ye heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
59 Not in this translation
60 O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all for ever.
60 Not in this translation
61 O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
61 Not in this translation
62 O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
62 Not in this translation
63 O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
63 Not in this translation
64 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
64 Not in this translation
65 O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
65 Not in this translation
66 O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
66 Not in this translation
67 O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
67 Not in this translation
68 O ye dews and hoar frosts, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
68 Not in this translation
69 O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
69 Not in this translation
70 O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
70 Not in this translation
71 O ye nights and days, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
71 Not in this translation
72 O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
72 Not in this translation
73 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
73 Not in this translation
74 O let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.
74 Not in this translation
75 O ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
75 Not in this translation
76 O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
76 Not in this translation
77 O ye fountains, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
77 Not in this translation
78 O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
78 Not in this translation
79 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
79 Not in this translation
80 O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
80 Not in this translation
81 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
81 Not in this translation
82 O ye sons of men, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.
82 Not in this translation
83 O let Israel bless the Lord: let them praise and exalt him above all for ever.
83 Not in this translation
84 O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
84 Not in this translation
85 O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
85 Not in this translation
86 O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
86 Not in this translation
87 O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
87 Not in this translation
88 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. For he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us out of the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the burning flame, and saved us out of the midst of the fire.
88 Not in this translation
89 O give thanks to the Lord, because he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever and ever.
89 Not in this translation
90 O all ye religious, bless the Lord the God of gods: praise him and give him thanks, because his mercy endureth for ever and ever.
90 Not in this translation
91 Then Nabuchodonosor the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles: Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered the king, and said: True, O king.
91 Not in this translation
92 He answered, and said: Behold I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
92 Not in this translation
93 Then Nabuchodonosor came to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said: Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, go ye forth, and come. And immediately Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago went out from the midst of the fire.
93 Not in this translation
94 And the nobles, and the magistrates, and the judges, and the great men of the king being gathered together, considered these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies, and that not a hair of their head had been singed, nor their garments altered, nor the smell of the fire had passed on them.
94 Not in this translation
95 Then Nabuchodonosor breaking forth, said: Blessed be the God of them, to wit, of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that believed in him: and they changed the king’s word, and delivered up their bodies that they might not serve, nor adore any god, except their own God.
95 Not in this translation
96 By me therefore this decree is made, that every people, tribe, and tongue, which shall speak blasphemy against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses laid waste: for there is no other God that can save in this manner.
96 Not in this translation
97 Then the king promoted Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, in the province of Babylon.
97 Not in this translation
98 Nabuchodonosor the king, to all peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you.
98 Not in this translation
99 The most high God hath wrought signs and wonders toward me. It hath seemed good to me therefore to publish
99 Not in this translation
100 His signs, because they are great: and his wonders, because they are mighty: and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, I and his power to all generations.
100 Not in this translation
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 16:20; Habakkuk 2:19; Isaiah 46:6; Hosea 8:4; Acts 19:26
- 2 Daniel 3:27; Proverbs 29:12; Daniel 6:1–4; Exodus 32:4–6; Daniel 6:6–7
- 3 Revelation 17:17; Revelation 17:13; Revelation 13:13–16; Romans 1:21–28; Romans 3:11
- 4 Daniel 6:25; Daniel 4:1; Micah 6:16; Daniel 4:14; Hosea 5:11
- 5 Daniel 3:15; Daniel 3:10; Daniel 3:7
- 6 Matthew 13:50; Matthew 13:42; Jeremiah 29:22; Daniel 3:15; Daniel 3:11
- 7 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 13:3; Revelation 17:8
- 8 Ezra 4:12–16; Daniel 6:12–13; Esther 3:8–9; Daniel 2:10; Acts 16:20–22
- 9 Daniel 5:10; Daniel 6:6; Daniel 6:21; Daniel 2:4; Daniel 3:4–5
- 10 Daniel 3:4–7; Esther 3:12–14; Daniel 6:12; Psalm 94:20; Exodus 1:22
- 12 Daniel 6:13; Daniel 2:49; Acts 17:7; Proverbs 27:4; 1 Samuel 18:7–11
- 13 Daniel 3:19; Daniel 2:12; Esther 3:5–6; 1 Samuel 20:30–33; Proverbs 17:12
- 14 Jeremiah 50:2; Daniel 3:1; Isaiah 46:1; Daniel 4:8; Exodus 21:13–14
- 15 Acts 5:29; 2 Chronicles 32:15–17; Daniel 3:17; Exodus 5:2; 2 Kings 18:35
- 16 Daniel 1:7; Daniel 3:12
- 17 Romans 8:31; Luke 1:37; Hebrews 7:25; Psalm 27:1–2; Isaiah 26:3–4
- 18 Acts 5:29–32; Matthew 10:39; Revelation 2:10–11; Matthew 10:32–33; Luke 12:3–9
- 19 Daniel 3:13; Leviticus 26:24; Leviticus 26:28; Proverbs 21:24; Acts 5:33
- 20 Acts 16:25; Daniel 3:15; Acts 16:23; Acts 12:4–5
- 22 Proverbs 11:8; Proverbs 21:18; Acts 12:19; Matthew 27:5; Daniel 6:24
- 23 Jeremiah 38:6; Daniel 6:16–17; Psalm 34:19; Psalm 124:1–5; Psalm 66:11–12
- 24 Daniel 6:22; Daniel 6:7; Acts 26:13; Daniel 3:17; Daniel 3:9–10
- 25 Isaiah 43:2; Acts 28:5; Mark 16:18; Psalm 91:3–9; Job 1:6
- 26 Daniel 3:17; Daniel 4:2; Revelation 19:5; Isaiah 52:12; Genesis 14:18
- 27 Isaiah 43:2; Hebrews 11:34; Isaiah 26:11; Psalm 83:18; Matthew 10:30
- 28 Romans 14:7–8; Psalm 34:7–8; Psalm 84:11–12; Exodus 20:5; Revelation 12:11
- 29 Daniel 2:5; Daniel 6:26–27; Psalm 76:10; Deuteronomy 32:31; Ezra 6:11
- 30 1 Samuel 2:30; Daniel 2:49; Daniel 3:12; Psalm 91:14; John 12:26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… seen with those who were around Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, as present with them in the furnace of fire, in the burning, and preserving them from [the effects of] fire: "And the appearance of the fourth," it is said, "was like to the Son of God." At another time [He is represented as] "a stone cut out of the mountain without …
Let us fear that death which the three men feared when they said to the king, "God is able to deliver us even from that flame; and if not," etc. There was there the fear of that death which the Lord now threatens, when they said, But also if He be not willing openly to deliver us, He can crown …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
… willing even to permit them to be burnt; lest, if this should come to pass, they might seem to be speaking falsehoods; they add this also and say, "If this happen not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we serve not thy gods." For had they said, "Sins are the cause of His not delivering us, should He …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
and, lo, I do see four walking in the midst of the fire, and the fourth is like the Son of God." Neither the nature of any created thing, therefore, nor the weakness of the flesh, can prevail against the will of God.
And who else save the three men Ananias, Azariah, and Mishael, ever walked about unharmed in flames that blazed and did not burn?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)