1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide: he put it up in the valley of Dura, in the land of Babylon.

2 And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to get together all the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, to come to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.

3 Then the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, came together to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up; and they took their places before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had put up.

4 Then one of the king's criers said in a loud voice, To you the order is given, O peoples, nations, and languages,

5 That when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, comes to your ears, you are to go down on your faces in worship before the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king has put up:

6 And anyone not falling down and worshipping will that same hour be put into a burning and flaming fire.

7 So at that time, all the people, when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, and all sorts of instruments, came to their ears, went down on their faces in worship before the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.

8 At that time certain Chaldaeans came near and made a statement against the Jews.

9 They made answer and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O King, have life for ever.

10 You, O King, have given an order that every man, when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, comes to his ears, is to go down on his face in worship before the image of gold:

11 And anyone not falling down and worshipping is to be put into a burning and flaming fire.

12 There are certain Jews whom you have put over the business of the land of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men have not given attention to you, O King: they are not servants of your gods or worshippers of the gold image which you have put up.

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his wrath and passion gave orders for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to be sent for. Then they made these men come in before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you will not be servants of my god or give worship to the image of gold which I have put up?

15 Now if you are ready, on hearing the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, to go down on your faces in worship before the image which I have made, it is well: but if you will not give worship, that same hour you will be put into a burning and flaming fire; and what god is there who will be able to take you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answering Nebuchadnezzar the king, said, There is no need for us to give you an answer to this question.

17 If our God, whose servants we are, is able to keep us safe from the burning and flaming fire, and from your hands, O King, he will keep us safe.

18 But if not, be certain, O King, that we will not be the servants of your gods, or give worship to the image of gold which you have put up.

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of wrath, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: and he gave orders that the fire was to be heated up seven times more than it was generally heated.

20 And he gave orders to certain strong men in his army to put cords on Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and put them into the burning and flaming fire.

21 Then these men had cords put round them as they were, in their coats, their trousers, their hats, and their clothing, and were dropped into the burning and flaming fire.

22 And because the king's order was not to be put on one side, and the heat of the fire was so great, the men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were burned to death by the flame of the fire.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, with the cords about them, went down into the burning and flaming fire.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar, full of fear and wonder, got up quickly, and said to his wise men, Did we not put three men in cords into the fire? and they made answer and said to the king, True, O King.

25 He made answer and said, Look! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not damaged; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the door of the burning and flaming fire: he made answer and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the fire.

27 And the captains, the chiefs, and the rulers, and the king's wise men who had come together, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had no power, and not a hair of their heads was burned, and their coats were not changed, and there was no smell of fire about them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel and kept his servants safe who had faith in him, and who put the king's word on one side and gave up their bodies to the fire, so that they might not be servants or worshippers of any other god but their God.

29 And it is my decision that any people, nation, or language saying evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, will be cut to bits and their houses made waste: because there is no other god who is able to give salvation such as this.

30 Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego even greater authority in the land of Babylon.

1 O rei Nabucodonozor fez uma estátua de ouro, de 30 metros de altura e de 3 metros de largura; mandou erguê-la na planície de Dura, na província de Babilónia; seguidamente mandou mensagens a todos os governantes, altas individualidades, chefes militares, juízes, administradores das finanças públicas, conselheiros, autarcas e governadores de províncias do seu império, convidando-os a estarem presentes na consagração da sua estátua.

3 Depois dessas pessoas terem chegado, e quando estavam diante do monumento, um arauto gritou: Ó povos de todas as nações e línguas, esta é a ordem do rei:•

5 quando ouvirem a música - o conjunto instrumental formado pelos clarins, flautas, harpas, sambucas, saltérios, gaitas de fole e toda a espécie de outros instrumentos - deverão prostrar-se por terra para adorar a estátua de ouro do rei Nabucodonozor;

6 seja quem for que recusar obedecer a esta ordem será imediatamente lançado numa fornalha ardente.

7 Assim, logo que a tal banda começou a tocar, toda a gente - de toda a nação, língua ou religião - se inclinou até à terra e adorou a estátua.

8 Aconteceu no entanto que alguns funcionários foram ter com o rei, acusando certos judeus de terem recusado adorar.

9 Majestade!, disseram eles, fizeste uma lei ordenando que toda a gente deveria inclinar-se em adoração perante a tua estátua de ouro, no momento em que a banda começasse a tocar, e que qualquer pessoa que recusasse fazê-lo seria lançada num forno de chamas ardentes.

12 Há contudo uns judeus, chamados Sadraque, Mesaque e Abednego, a quem deste responsabilidades no governo de Babilónia, que te ofenderam, recusando servir os teus deuses ou adorar a estátua de ouro que ergueste.

13 Então Nabucodonozor, furioso e enraivecido, deu ordens para que esses três homens fossem trazidos à sua presença:

14 É verdade, Sadraque, Mesaque e Abednego, perguntou-lhes ele, que vocês recusaram servir os meus deuses e adorar a estátua de ouro que mandei erguer?

15 Se assim é, vou dar-vos mais uma oportunidade: quando a música começar a tocar, se se inclinarem para adorar a estátua, fica tudo bem. Mas se recusarem, serão lançados no forno chamejante, nessa mesma hora. Veremos se há algum outro deus que vos possa livrar das minhas mãos!

16 Os três homens responderam assim: Ó Nabucodonozor, não precisamos de te responder sobre isso. Se formos lançados para dentro da fornalha, o nosso Deus será capaz de nos libertar. Ele nos livrará das tuas mãos!

18 Mas mesmo que não nos livre, fica sabendo, ó majestade, que nunca serviremos os teus deuses nem adoraremos a estátua de ouro que mandaste edificar.

19 Nabucodonozor encheu-se de furor, o rosto ficou todo vermelho de ira. Mandou acender o forno e aquecê-lo setes vezes mais do que habitualmente; fez vir uns homens, dos mais fortes do seu exército, para atarem os três judeus, e deu ordem para que os lançassem na fornalha. E assim aconteceu mesmo depois de serem ligados com cordas fortes, foram deitados às chamas, completamente vestidos, com a própria roupa que traziam.

22 Como o soberano, na sua fúria, tinha ordenado um aquecimento excepcional do forno, as chamas saíam para o exterior e chegaram a matar os soldados, quando estes atiravam os três homens lá para dentro!

23 Dessa forma Sadraque, Mesaque e Abednego caíram atados dentro do forno de fogo ardente.

24 Mas, de repente, Nabucodonozor, que estava a olhar para a cena, deu um salto de espanto e exclamou para os seus conselheiros: Não foram três os indivíduos que deitámos para dentro da fornalha? Sim, é claro que foram, majestade!, retorquiram os outros.

25 Então olhem bem! Eu estou a ver quatro homens, desatados, passeando lá no meio do fogo; e as chamas nada lhes fazem! Reparem que o quarto tem o aspecto do filho de um deus!

26 Nabucodonozor aproximou-se da porta aberta do forno e gritou: Sadraque, Mesaque e Abednego, servos do Deus altíssimo! Saiam daí! Venham cá! E eles saíram do meio do fogo.

27 Os príncipes, os governadores, os capitães e os conselheiros juntaram-se todos à volta dos três homens e todos constataram que o fogo em nada os tinha afectado - nem mesmo um cabelo da sua cabeça se tinha queimado; as suas roupas não estavam sequer chamuscadas e nem cheiravam a queimado.

28 Disse o rei Nabucodonozor: Bendito seja o Deus de Sadraque, de Mesaque e de Abednego, porque mandou o seu anjo para livrar os seus servos que confiavam nele e que recusaram obedecer à ordem do rei, preferindo antes morrer do que servir e adorar qualquer outro deus além do seu Deus

29 Por isso, faço agora outro decreto pelo qual qualquer pessoa, seja de que nação, língua ou religião for, que disser qualquer frase ofensiva contra o Deus de Sadraque, de Mesaque e de Abednego será despedaçado e a sua casa feita num montão de ruínas. Pois que não há outro Deus que possa livrar como este.

30 Então o rei fez prosperar estes três homens e promoveu-os a cargos superiores no governo da província de Babilónia.