Daniels venner nægter at tilbede den gyldne statue
1Kong Nebukadnezar lod fremstille en forgyldt statue, der var 27 m høj og 2,7 m bred, og den blev opstillet på Durasletten i provinsen Babylon.2Derpå sendte han bud til alle sine statholdere, generaler, administratorer, rådgivere, skatmestre, dommere, jurister og andre embedsmænd i provinsen og inviterede dem til indvielse af statuen.3Da de alle sammen var ankommet og havde taget opstilling foran statuen,4råbte kongens herold så højt, han kunne: „Hør, hvad kongen har befalet mennesker af alle folkeslag, stammer og sprog at gøre:5Når orkestret med alle dets forskellige instrumenter begynder at spille, skal I falde på knæ med ansigtet mod jorden og tilbede kong Nebukadnezars gyldne statue!6Hvis nogen ikke gør det, bliver de kastet i den gloende ovn!”7Da orkestret med alle dets forskellige instrumenter begyndte at spille, faldt alle de tilstedeværende fra alle folkeslag, stammer og sprog på knæ med ansigtet mod jorden og tilbad Nebukadnezars gyldne statue.8Inden længe kom nogle af kaldæerne[1] til kongen for at anklage judæerne.9„Deres Majestæt længe leve!” sagde de.10„De har påbudt, at når orkestret med alle dets instrumenter spiller, skal alle falde på knæ og tilbede den gyldne statue,11og De har bestemt, at de, der nægter at gøre det, skal kastes i den gloende ovn.12Men der er nogle judæiske mænd, som ikke retter sig efter Deres påbud. Det drejer sig om Shadrak, Meshak og Abed-Nego, som De har sat til at administrere provinsen Babylon. De judæere nægter at dyrke Deres gud og tilbede den statue, De har ladet opstille.”13Nebukadnezar blev rasende og lod straks Shadrak, Meshak og Abed-Nego hente. Da de blev ført frem for ham, sagde han:14„Shadrak, Meshak og Abed-Nego, er det for at trodse mig, at I ikke vil dyrke min gud og tilbede den statue, jeg har ladet opstille?15Jeg giver jer én chance mere! Hvis I falder på knæ og tilbeder min statue, når orkestret med alle dets instrumenter om lidt begynder at spille igen, så vil jeg tilgive jer. Men hvis I ikke gør det, bliver I omgående kastet i den gloende ovn. Og hvilken gud kan så redde jer?”16„Ærede Kong Nebukadnezar,” svarede de tre judæere, „vi har ikke gjort noget forkert over for Dem.17Men hvis vi alligevel bliver kastet i den gloende ovn, skal De vide, Deres Majestæt, at den Gud, vi tjener, har magt til at redde os.18Og skulle han ikke redde os, vil vi dog under ingen omstændigheder dyrke Deres gud eller tilbede den statue, De har ladet opstille.”19Da Nebukadnezar hørte det svar, skar han tænder af raseri og befalede, at ovnen skulle gøres syv gange varmere end normalt.20Derefter befalede han nogle af sine stærkeste soldater at binde Shadrak, Meshak og Abed-Nego og kaste dem i den gloende ovn.21De tre judæere blev bundet med alt tøjet på og ført hen til den gloende ovn.22Fordi kongen i sit raseri havde forlangt at få ovnen ekstra ophedet, slikkede store flammer ud og brændte soldaterne ihjel, da de skubbede judæerne ind i ovnen.23De tre mænd faldt ned i bunden af ovnen.24Kong Nebukadnezar sad og iagttog det hele. Pludselig sprang han op og udbrød bestyrtet til sine rådgivere: „Var det ikke kun tre mænd, vi smed bundne ind i ovnen?” „Jo,” svarede de.25„Jamen, se!” råbte Nebukadnezar. „Der er jo fire! Og de er ikke bundne! De går omkring i ilden helt uberørt af flammerne! Og den fjerde ligner en gud!”26Da gik Nebukadnezar så tæt hen til ovndøren, som han kunne, og råbte: „Shadrak, Meshak og Abed-Nego, I er den højeste Guds tjenere. Kom ud igen! Skynd jer!” Så trådte de tre mænd ud af ilden,27og alle statholderne, generalerne, administratorerne og rådgiverne stimlede sammen om dem og så, at ilden ikke havde gjort dem noget. Deres tøj var uskadt, der var ingen brandlugt ved dem, og ikke et hår på deres hoved var svedet!28Da sagde Nebukadnezar: „Priset være Shadraks, Meshaks og Abed-Negos Gud! Han sendte sin engel for at frelse sine tjenere, der i tillid til ham trodsede en kongelig befaling og var villige til at dø frem for at tjene eller tilbede nogen anden gud end deres egen.29Derfor befaler jeg nu, at hvis noget menneske, uanset hvilket land eller folkeslag de kommer fra, siger et ondt ord om judæernes Gud, bliver han skåret i småstykker og hans hus jævnet med jorden. For ingen gud kan gribe ind og frelse, som denne Gud har gjort!”30Derefter genindsatte kongen de tre judæere i deres stillinger i provinsen Babylon.
Nebukadnezars anden drøm
31Kong Nebukadnezar udsendte senere følgende bekendtgørelse til sine undersåtter fra alle folkeslag, stammer og sprog: Hilsen med ønsket om alt godt!32Jeg ønsker at informere jer om de tegn og undere, den højeste Gud har ladet mig opleve!33Hvilke utrolige tegn! Hvilke mægtige undere! Hans rige ophører aldrig. Han hersker over alt og alle fra slægt til slægt.
1King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits[1] and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. (1.Mos 11,2; Dan 2,48; Dan 3,12; Dan 3,30)2Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Ez 8,36; Dan 2,48; Dan 3,27; Dan 6,1; Dan 6,3; Dan 6,6)3Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Dan 3,2)4And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, (Dan 3,29; Dan 4,1; Dan 4,14; Dan 5,7; Dan 5,19; Dan 6,25; Dan 7,14; Åb 5,9; Åb 18,2)5that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. (Dan 2,46; Dan 3,7; Dan 3,10; Dan 3,15)6And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” (Jer 29,22; Ez 23,25)7Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Dan 3,4)
The Fiery Furnace
8Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. (Dan 1,4; Dan 6,12)9They declared[2] to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!10You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. (Dan 3,5; Dan 3,7; Dan 3,15; Dan 3,29; Dan 4,6; Dan 6,26)11And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. (Dan 3,6)12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Dan 1,7; Dan 2,49; Dan 3,1; Dan 6,13)13Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. (Dan 2,12; Dan 3,12)14Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.[3] But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (2.Mos 5,2; 2.Kong 18,35; Dan 3,5; Dan 3,6; Dan 3,7; Dan 3,10; Dan 6,20)16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. (Dan 3,12)17If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[4] (Dan 3,15)18But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. (Ester 7,7; Dan 2,49; Dan 3,12; Dan 3,13)20And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. (Dan 3,12; Dan 3,24)21Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics,[5] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. (Dan 3,20)22Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Dan 1,7; Dan 2,15)23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. (Dan 3,20)24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” (Dan 2,25; Dan 3,20; Dan 3,23; Dan 4,19; Dan 4,36; Dan 6,7)25He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” (Job 1,6; Es 43,2; Dan 3,28; Dan 6,23)26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. (Dan 3,22; Dan 4,2; Dan 5,18; Dan 5,21)27And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. (Dan 3,2; Dan 3,21; Dan 3,24; Heb 11,34)28Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside[6] the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. (2.Mos 20,3; Salm 25,2; Salm 34,7; Dan 3,15; Dan 3,17; Dan 3,22; Dan 6,22)29Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” (Dan 2,5; Dan 3,4; Dan 3,10; Dan 3,22)30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. (Dan 2,48; Dan 3,1; Dan 3,12; Dan 3,22)