¹¹ and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

^{12 Ref} 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.

^{13 Ref} Then Nebuchadnezzar in `his' rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.

^{14 Ref} 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?

^{15 Ref} Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye 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?

^{16 Ref} Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.

^{17 Ref} 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 thy hand, O king.

^{18 Ref} But if 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.

^{19 Ref} Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: `therefore' he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

^{20 Ref} And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, `and' to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

²¹ Then these men were bound in their hosen, their tunics, and their mantles, and their `other' garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

^{22 Ref} 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.

^{23 Ref} And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

^{24 Ref} Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spake and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

^{25 Ref} He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.