Three men stand up for God Daniel 3:1-30

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Daniel 3:1-30

1 When the Babylonians

invaded Israel they took
many Jews as captives
back to Babylon. King
Nebuchadnezzar
promoted three captives
to be officials in Babylon
and gave them new
Babylonian names:
Meshach, Shadrach and
Abednego.

2 King Nebuchadnezzar
made an image of gold,
27 metres (90ft) high
and 2.7 metres (9ft)
wide, and set it up on
the plain of Dura in
Babylon. All the rulers
and officials were
summoned to attend the
dedication of the image.

3 A herald loudly
proclaimed, ‘Everybody,
is commanded, as soon
as you hear musical
instruments (trumpets,
oboes, lyres, zithers, and
harps) you must fall
down and worship the
image of gold that King
Nebuchadnezzar has set
up. Anyone who does
not fall down and
worship will immediately
be thrown into a blazing
furnace.’
4 As soon as the music
played, everyone bowed
down to the golden
image – everyone, that
is, except the Jews,
Meshach, Shadrach and
Abednego. They
believed they should
worship God and Him
only.

5 The Babylonian
astrologers reported to
Nebuchadnezzar that
Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego had not
bowed before the image
of gold nor did they
worship his gods.

6 At that, the king flew

into a rage and ordered
the three men to be
brought before him. He
gave them one more
chance to bow down
when the music played
or they would be thrown
in the furnace. ‘Do you
think there is any god
who can save you?’ he
shouted.

7 The three men bravely

replied, ‘Your Majesty, if
the God whom we serve
is able to save us from
the blazing furnace and
from your power, then
He will. But even if He
doesn't we will not
worship your god, and
we will not bow down to
the gold statue.’

8 Nebuchadnezzar lost his

temper, and his face
turned red with anger.
He ordered the furnace
to be heated seven
times hotter than usual.
The strongest men in his
army tied the three Jews
up and threw them, fully
clothed, into the roaring
furnace.
9 Suddenly
Nebuchadnezzar leaped
to his feet in
amazement. ‘Didn't we
tie up three men and
throw them into the
blazing furnace?’ he
asked.They answered,
‘Yes, we did, Your
Majesty.’‘Then why do I
see four men walking
around in the fire?’ he
asked. ‘They are not tied
up, and they show no
sign of being hurt—and
the fourth one looks like
an angel or Son of God.

10 So Nebuchadnezzar
went up to the door of
the blazing furnace and
called out, ‘Shadrach!
Meshach! Abednego!
Servants of the Supreme
God! Come out!’ And
they came out at
once.All the princes,
governors, and other
officials gathered to look
at the three men, who
had not been harmed by
the fire. Their hair was
not singed, their clothes
were not burned, and
there was no smell of
smoke on them.

11 The king said, ‘Praise

the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and
Abednego! He sent His
angel and rescued these
men who serve and trust
Him. They disobeyed my
orders and risked their
lives rather than bow
down and worship any
god except their own.’
12 The King continued, ‘I
command that if anyone
speaks disrespectfully of
the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and
Abednego, he is to be
torn limb from limb, and
his house is to be made
a pile of ruins. There is
no other god who can
rescue like this.’Then
the King promoted
Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego.

13