The Test By Fire

Nebuchadrezzar, the king, made an image of gold ninety feet high and

nine feet wide. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of

Babylon. Then he sent for the officers, the governors, the judges, the

treasurers, and all the rulers of the provinces. So they all came

together and stood before the image that Nebuchadrezzar had set up.



Then the herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O peoples,

nations: 'The moment you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lute,

harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, you shall fall down

and worship the golden image. Whoever does not fall down and worship

shall be thrown into a burning, fiery furnace.'" So when all the people

heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, lute, harp, bagpipe, and all

kinds of musical instruments, all the peoples, nations, and races fell

down and worshipped the golden image that King Nebuchadrezzar had set

up.



But at that time certain Chaldeans came near to the king and made this

charge against the Jews: "O king, live forever! O king, you have

commanded that every man who hears the sound of the trumpet, flute,

lute, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments shall fall

down and worship the golden image, and that whoever does not fall down

and worship shall be thrown into a burning, fiery furnace. There are

certain Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whom you have placed in

charge of the province of Babylon. These men, O king, have not obeyed

your command; they do not serve your gods nor worship the golden image

which you have set up."



Then Nebuchadrezzar in his rage and fury gave command to bring in

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were brought before the king,

Nebuchadrezzar said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego, that you do not serve my god nor worship the golden image

which I have set up? If you are now ready, as soon as you hear the sound

of the trumpet, flute, lute, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical

instruments, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well;

but if you do not worship, you shall at once be thrown into a burning,

fiery furnace. Where is there a god who can deliver you out of my

hands?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O king, there is no

need of our answering you about this. Our God whom we serve is able to

save us from the burning, fiery furnace; he will save us out of your

hand, O king. But if not, know, O king, that we will not serve your gods

nor worship the golden image which you have set up."



Then Nebuchadrezzar was very angry and the appearance of his face

changed, as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered

that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than usual. He also

commanded certain strong men who were in his army to bind Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego, and throw them into the burning, fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their robes,

and their other garments, and were thrown into the burning, fiery

furnace. As the king's command was urgent and the furnace very hot, the

flames destroyed the men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the midst of

the burning, fiery furnace.



Nebuchadrezzar, the king, was so astonished that he rose up hastily and

said to his counsellors, "Did we not throw three men, bound, into the

fire?" They answered, "True, O king." He said, "Now I see four men,

unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are unhurt, and the

fourth looks like an angel."



Then Nebuchadrezzar went near the door of the burning, fiery furnace and

said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,

come out." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.

And the officers, governors, and counsellors who were there saw that the

fire had no power over the bodies of these men, and that the hair of

their heads was not singed and that their cloaks were not harmed, and

that there was no smell of fire. And Nebuchadrezzar said, "Blessed be

the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel to

save his servants who trusted in him and refused to obey the king's

command and have offered their bodies, that they might not serve nor

worship any god except their own. Therefore I command that every

people, nation, and race that shall say anything against the God of

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their house

shall be made an ash-heap, for there is no other god who is so able to

save as is this one." Then the king gave high positions, in the province

of Babylon, to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.