th
such fury that they burned even to death the soldiers who were holding
these men; and the men themselves fell down bound into the middle of the
fiery furnace.

But an angel befriended them and they were unhurt.

[Illustration: _An angel befriended them_]

King Nebuchadnezzar stood in front of the furnace, and looked into the
open door. As he looked, he was filled with wonder at what he saw; and
he said to the nobles around him:

"Did we not throw three men bound into the fire? How is it then that I
see four men loose walking in the furnace; and the fourth man looks as
though he were a son of the gods?"

And the nobles who stood by could scarcely speak, so great was their
surprise.

"It is true, O king," at last they said to Nebuchadnezzar, "that we cast
these men into the flames, expecting them to be burned up; and we cannot
understand how it happens that they have not been destroyed."

The king came near to the door of the furnace, as the fire became lower;
and he called out to the three men within it:

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye who serve the Most High God, come
out of the fire, and come to me."

They came out and stood before the king, in the sight of all the
princes, and nobles, and rulers; and every one could see that they were
alive.

Their garments had not been scorched, nor their hair singed, nor was
there even the smell of fire upon them.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar said before all his rulers:

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent
his angel, and has saved the lives of these men who trusted in him. _I_
make a law that no man in all my kingdoms shall say a word against
their God, for there is no other god who can save in this manner those
who worship him. And if any man speaks a word against their God, the
Most High God, that man shall be cut in pieces, and his house shall be
torn down."

After King Nebuchadnezzar died, his kingdom became weak, and the city of
Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians, under Cyrus, a great
warrior.

THE STORY OF DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN

The lands which had been the Babylonian or Chaldean empire, now became
the empire of Persia; and over these Darius was the king. King Darius
gave to Daniel, who was now a very old man, a high place in honor and in
power. Among all the rulers over the land, Daniel stood first, for the
king saw that he was wise and able to rule. This made the other princes
and rulers very jealous