Chapter 4

4 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 Abed-nego; 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 Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.

 

¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 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 Abed-nego, 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 Abed-nego: 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 Abed-nego, 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 Abed-nego.

 

²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

 

²⁴ And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord.

 

²⁵Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,

 

²⁶ Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore:

 

²⁷ For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth.

 

²⁸ In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.

 

²⁹ For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.

 

³⁰ In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us.

 

³¹ Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.

 

³² And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world.

 

³³ And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee.

 

³⁴ Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant:

 

³⁵ And cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham's sake, for thy servant Issac's sake, and for thy holy Israel's sake;

 

³⁶ To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore.

 

³⁷ For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins.

 

³⁸ Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.

 

³⁹ Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted.

 

⁴⁰ Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee.

 

⁴¹ And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face.

 

⁴² Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.

 

⁴³ Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be ashamed;

 

⁴⁴ And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken;

 

⁴⁵ And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.

 

⁴⁶ And the king's servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood;

 

⁴⁷ So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits.

 

⁴⁸ And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace.

 

⁴⁹ But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven;

 

⁵⁰ And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

 

⁵¹ Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,

 

⁵² Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

 

⁵³ And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

 

⁵⁴ Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

 

⁵⁵ Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

 

⁵⁶ Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

 

⁵⁷ Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above all to be praised and glorified for ever.

 

⁵⁸ O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever,

 

⁵⁹ O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶⁰ O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶¹ O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶² O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶³ O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶⁴ O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶⁵ O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶⁶ O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever,

 

⁶⁷ O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶⁸ O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁶⁹ O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁰ O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: bless and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷¹ O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷² O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷³ O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁴ O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁵ O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁶ O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁷ O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁸ O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁷⁹ O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁰ O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸¹ O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸² O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸³ O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁴ O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁵ O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁶ O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁷ O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁸ O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 

⁸⁹ 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 from the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame: even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us.

 

⁹⁰ O give thanks unto the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

⁹¹ O all ye that worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

⁹² 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.

 

⁹³ 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.

 

⁹⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

 

⁹⁵ 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.

 

⁹⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 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.

 

⁹⁷ Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 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.

 

⁹⁸ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.