The Koine Bible

In the eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar the king made a golden image, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits, and he set it up in the plain of Dura in the country of Babylon.

And he sent to gather the satraps and the generals and the regional governors, the rulers and the tyrants and those over authorities, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

And the provincial rulers, the supreme generals, the leaders, the great tyrants, those over authorities, and all the rulers of the districts were gathered for the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, and they were standing before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

And the herald cried out with strength: To you it is said, peoples, tribes, tongues.

At whatever hour you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipe also, and harp, sambuke, and psaltery, and symphony, and every kind of musical instrument, falling down, worship the golden image which King Nabuchodonosor set up.

and whoever does not fall down and worship at that very hour shall be thrown into the furnace of the fire that is burning

And it came to pass, when the peoples heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sambuca, psaltery, and symphony, and every kind of music, all the peoples, tribes, and tongues falling down were worshiping the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Then Chaldean men approached and denounced the Jews

O king Nebuchadnezzar, king, live unto the ages.

You, O king, have established a decree that every man who should hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sambuca, psaltery, and symphony, and every kind of musicians

and if anyone does not fall down and worship the golden image, he shall be cast into the furnace of the burning fire

There are Jewish men whom you appointed over the works of the land of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego; those men have not obeyed, O king: they do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the golden image that you set up.

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and anger, said to bring Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and they were brought before the king.

And Nabuchodonosor answered and said to them, If it is truly so, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden image that I set up?

Now therefore, if you are ready, so that as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipe and lyre, sambuca and psaltery and symphony and every kind of music, falling down you should worship the image which I made, but if you do not worship it, at that hour you will be thrown into the furnace of the fire, the burning one; and who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?

And Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago answered, saying to King Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer you concerning this matter.

For there is God whom we serve, able to deliver us from the furnace of the fire burning, and from your hands, O king, he will rescue us

And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and to the golden image that you set up we do not bow down

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger, and the appearance of his face was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he said to heat the furnace seven times, until it should be burned to the end.

And he said to strong men, strong in might, to bind Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, to throw them into the furnace of fire, the one burning

Then those men were tied with their sarabars and with their tiaras and with their leggings and with their garments, and they were thrown into the midst of the furnace of the fire that was burning

because the king’s word prevailed, and the furnace was heated exceedingly

And these three, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell into the midst of the furnace of the burning fire, bound.

and they were walking in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord

And Azarias, standing together, prayed thus, and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire, said

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of our fathers, and praiseworthy and glorified is your name unto the ages

For you are just in all that you have done to us, and all your works are true, and your ways are straight, and all your judgments are truth.

and you have done judgments of truth according to all that you brought upon us and upon the holy city of our fathers, Jerusalem, because in truth and judgment you brought all these things because of our sins

because we sinned and acted lawlessly in departing from you, and we sinned greatly in all things, and we did not listen to your commandments

neither have we kept, nor have we done as you commanded us, so that it might be well with us

and all that you brought upon us and all that you did to us, you did in true judgment

and you gave us into the hands of lawless, most hateful enemies, rebels, and to a king unjust and most wicked beyond all the earth

And now there is not for us to open the mouth; shame and reproach have come upon your servants and those revering you.

Do not then give us over utterly for your name’s sake, and do not scatter your covenant.

And do not remove your mercy from us, for Abraham, the one loved by you, and for Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one

to whom you spoke to them, saying to multiply their seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand beside the edge of the sea

For, Master, we have been diminished beyond all the nations, and we are humbled in all the earth today because of our sins

And there is not at this time a ruler and prophet and leader, nor whole burnt offering nor sacrifice nor offering nor incense, nor a place to bear fruit before you and to find mercy

but with a broken soul and a spirit of humility may we be accepted, as in whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and as in tens of thousands of fat lambs

So let our sacrifice become before you today, and accomplish behind you, because there will be no shame for those who have trusted in you

And now we follow with all the heart and we fear you and seek your face; do not put us to shame.

but do with us according to your gentleness and according to the abundance of your mercy

and rescue us according to your wonders, and give glory to your name, O Lord

And let all who show evils toward your servants be put to shame, and let them be ashamed from all power and rule, and let their strength be crushed.

let them know that you are Lord, the God alone and glorious over the whole inhabited world

And the servants of the king who had cast them in did not cease burning the furnace with naphtha and pitch and tow and vine branches

And the flame was spread out above the furnace forty-nine cubits.

And he passed through and burned up those whom he found around the furnace of the Chaldeans.

And the angel of the Lord came down together with those around Azariah into the furnace and shook out the flame of the fire from the furnace

And he made the middle of the furnace like a breeze of dew, whistling through, and the fire at all did not touch them, and it did not hurt nor trouble them.

Then the three, as from one mouth, were hymning and glorifying and blessing God in the furnace, saying:

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and highly exalted forever, and blessed is the name of your glory, the holy one, and supremely praiseworthy and highly exalted forever

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, and highly praised and exceedingly glorious forever.

Blessed are you upon the throne of your kingdom, and highly praised and exalted forever.

Blessed are you, who looks upon the abysses, who sits upon the cherubim, and praised and exalted unto the ages.

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, and worthy of praise and glorified unto the ages.

Bless all the works of the Lord, sing praise to the Lord, and exalt him above all forever.

Bless the Lord, angels of the Lord; sing praise and exalt him above all for ever.

Bless, heavens, the Lord; sing praise and exalt him forever.

Bless all waters that are above the heaven, praise the Lord and exalt him above exceedingly unto the ages.

Bless the Lord, all powers; sing praise and exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, sun and moon; sing praise and exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the stars of heaven; praise the Lord and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless all rain and dew, praise the Lord and exalt him above all forever.

Bless all spirits, the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.

Bless the Lord, fire and heat; hymn him and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless cold and heat, praise the Lord and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the dews and snows, the Lord; praise and exalt him above exceedingly to the ages.

Bless the Lord, ice and cold; sing praise and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the hoarfrost and snows, praise and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless, nights and days, the Lord; sing praise and exalt him above exceedingly unto the ages

Bless light and darkness, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless, lightnings and clouds, the Lord; sing praise and exalt him above exceedingly forever.

Let the earth bless the Lord; let it hymn him and exalt him exceedingly unto the ages.

Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; praise and exalt him unto the ages.

Bless all things growing in the earth; sing praise to the Lord and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless, O springs, the Lord; sing praise and exalt him above all for ever.

Bless, seas and rivers, the Lord; praise and exalt him above exceedingly unto the ages.

Bless, sea creatures and all things moving in the waters, the Lord; sing praise and exalt him unto the ages.

Bless all the birds of heaven; sing praise to the Lord and exalt him above all forever.

Bless all wild animals and all cattle, praise the Lord and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the sons of men, the Lord; sing praise and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the Lord, Israel; praise and exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the Lord, priests of the Lord; sing praise and exalt him above all forever.

Bless the Lord, servants of the Lord; sing praise and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous; sing praise and highly exalt him unto the ages.

Bless the Lord, holy and humble in heart; sing praise and exalt him unto the ages.

Bless Ananias, Azarias, Misael, the Lord; praise and highly exalt him unto the ages, because he delivered us from Hades and from the hand of death, he saved us and rescued us from the midst of the burning furnace of flame and from the midst of fire he rescued us

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is for ever.

Bless all you who fear the Lord, the God of gods; sing praise and give thanks, because his mercy is forever.

And Nebuchadnezzar heard them singing praises, and he was amazed, and he rose up in haste and said to his nobles, Did we not cast three men into the midst of the fire, bound? And they said to the king, Truly, O king.

And the king said, Behold, I see four men loosened and walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no harm in them, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of the burning fire and said, Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago, the servants of the Most High God, come out and come here; and Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago came out from the midst of the fire.

And the satraps and the generals and the local rulers and the powers of the king were gathered together, and they were observing the men, that the fire had not ruled over their body, and the hair of their head was not singed, and their trousers were not changed, and there was no smell of fire in them

And Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants, because they trusted in him, and they changed the word of the king and gave over their bodies to fire, so that they might not serve nor worship any god except their God.

And I issue a decree: every people, tribe, tongue, whoever shall speak blasphemy against the God of Sedrach, Misach, Abdenago shall be for destruction, and their houses for plundering, because there is no other god who will be able to rescue thus.

Then the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon, and he esteemed them to be in authority over all the Jews who were in his kingdom.