Daniel 3 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ Neḇ

² And Sovereign Neḇ

³ Then the viceroys, the nobles, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that Sovereign Neḇ

⁴ Then a herald loudly proclaimed, “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

⁵ that as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, you shall fall down and do obeisance to the gold image that Sovereign Neḇ

⁶ “And whoever does not fall down and do obeisance is immediately thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire.”

⁷ So as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, all kinds of instruments, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and did obeisance to the gold image that Sovereign Neḇ

⁸ Thereupon, at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Yehuḏ

⁹ They spoke and said to Sovereign Neḇ

¹⁰ “You, O sovereign, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, shall fall down and do obeisance to the gold image,

¹¹ and whoever does not fall down and do obeisance is thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire.

¹² “There are certain Yehuḏ

¹³ Then Neḇ

¹⁴ Neḇ

¹⁵ “Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, and you fall down and do obeisance to the image which I have made, good! But if you do not do obeisance, you are immediately thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire. And who is the elah who does deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶ Shaḏ

¹⁷ “For if so, our Elah whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace of fire and from your hand, O sovereign – He does deliver!

¹⁸ “But if not, let it be known to you, O sovereign, that we do not serve your elahin, nor do we do obeisance to the gold image which you have set up.”

¹⁹ Then Neḇ

²⁰ And he commanded some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shaḏ

²¹ So these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were thrown into the midst of the burning furnace of fire.

²² Thereupon, because the sovereign’s order was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shaḏ

²³ And these three men, Shaḏ

²⁴ Then Sovereign Neḇ

²⁵ He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire. And they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Elah.”

²⁶ Then Neḇ

²⁷ And the viceroys, the nobles, and the governors, and the sovereign’s counsellors gathered together, seeing these men on whose bodies the fire had no power, and the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments changed, nor did the smell of fire come on them.

²⁸ Neḇ

²⁹ “Therefore I make a decree that whoever of any people, nation, or language who speaks any wrong against the Elah of Shaḏ

³⁰ Then the sovereign promoted Shaḏ