In a blazing furnace

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue. He placed it on the plain near the city of Babylon. It was about 27 metres tall and 3 metres wide. Then he sent for the royal rulers, the governors and all his officials. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were among them. They were Daniel’s friends, and they worshipped the Lord God. The king made everyone stand in front of the huge statue. Then the king’s messenger said, “Listen! When you hear music playing, you must lie on the ground and worship this gold statue. If you don’t, you will be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

The music began playing, and the people lay on the ground and worshipped the statue. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego remained standing. Nebuchadnezzar was angry. He had the three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego brought to him. “I order you to worship my statue!” he said. “If you refuse, you will be thrown into the furnace. Your God won’t be able to save you then!” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, “King Nebuchadnezzar throw us into the blazing furnace.

The God we serve can bring us out of it alive. He can save us from your power. But even if he doesn’t save us, we won’t worship your statue.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was very angry. He told his servants to make the furnace seven times hotter than usual. He ordered his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the blazing fire. The furnace was so hot that its flames killed the soldiers.

King Nebuchadnezzar was watching the furnace from a safe distance. Suddenly he jumped to his feet. He said, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire? I see four men walking in the fire. They aren’t tied up. And the fire isn’t burning them.” The king shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, come out! Your God is the all-powerful God!” The men came out of the fire and everyone could see that the fire hadn’t harmed them. Not one hair on their heads was burned. Their clothes weren’t burned. They didn’t even smell like smoke.

Nebuchadnezzar said, “May the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be praised! He sent his angel and saved his servants. They would rather die than worship any god except their own God. No other god can save people in this way. So, I order everyone to respect their God.” Daniel 3