Jews. They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, "O king,
live for ever. 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 music, shall fall down and worship the
golden image: and whoso falleth not down and {194} worshipeth, shall
be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain
Jews whom thou hast appointed 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."

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar answered and said unto them, "Is it of purpose, O
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor
worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye are ready when
ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and
dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to 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?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, "O
Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. 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. But
if he does 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."

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and his face hardened against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: {195} therefore he spoke, and
commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than was
usual to heat it. And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his
army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them in to
the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in all their
garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

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