1 Nebuchadnezzar the king has made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits; he has raised it up in the Valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon; 2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king has sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up. 3 Then are gathered the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the province, to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up: and they are standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar has raised up. 4 And a crier is calling mightily: “They are saying to you: O peoples, nations, and languages! 5 At the time that you hear the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, the symphony, and all kinds of music, you fall down and pay respect to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up: 6 and whoever does not fall down and pay respect, in that hour he is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples are hearing the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, and all kinds of music, falling down are all the peoples, nations and languages, worshiping the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up. 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans have drawn near, and accused the Jews; 9 they have answered, indeed, they are saying to Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for all ages! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, falls down and pays respect to the golden image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and pay respect, is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the work of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, these men have not made of you, O king, [any] regard; your gods they are not serving, and to the golden image you have raised up—are not making worship.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in anger and fury, has said to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then these men have been brought in before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar has answered and said to them, “Is [it] a laid plan, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—my gods you are not serving, and to the golden image that I have raised up you are not worshiping? 15 Now behold, you are ready, so that at the time that you hear the voice of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the stringed instrument, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, you fall down and pay respect to the image that I have made! But if you do not worship—in that hour you are cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; who is that God who delivers you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego have answered, indeed, they are saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need concerning this matter to answer you. 17 Behold, it is; our God whom we are serving, is able to deliver us from a burning fiery furnace; and from your hand, O king, He delivers. 18 And behold—not! Be it known to you, O king, that we are not serving your gods, and we do not worship the golden image you have raised up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar has been full of fury, and the expression of his face has been changed concerning Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; he answered and said to heat the furnace seven times above that which it is seen to be heated; 20 and to certain mighty men who [are] in his force he has said to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to cast into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men have been bound in their coats, their tunics, and their turbans, and their clothing, and have been cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because that the word of the king is urgent, and the furnace heated exceedingly, those men who have taken up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—the spark of the fire has killed them. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, have fallen down in the midst of the burning fiery furnace—bound. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king has been astonished, and has risen in haste; he has answered and said to his counselors, “Have we not cast three men into the midst of the fire—bound?” They have answered and are saying to the king, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He answered and has said, “Behold, I am seeing four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth [is] like to a son of the gods.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar has drawn near to the gate of the burning fiery furnace; he has answered and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of God Most High come forth, indeed, come”; then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego come forth, from the midst of the fire; 27 and gathered together, the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the counselors of the king, are seeing these men, that the fire has no power over their bodies, and the hair of their head has not been singed, and their coats have not changed, and the smell of fire has not passed on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar has answered and has said, “Blessed [is] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who has sent His messenger, and has delivered His servants who trusted on Him.” And the word of the king changed, and gave up their bodies that they might not serve nor pay respect to any god except to their own God. 29 “And by me a decree is made, that any people, nation, and language, that speaks erroneously concerning the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, he is made pieces, and its house is made a dunghill, because that there is no other god who is able thus to deliver.” 30 Then the king has caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to prosper in the province of Babylon.
Daniel · Literal Standard Version
Daniel 3 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)