Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and the width of it six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image, which he had set up.

Then a herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, trigon, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up: And whoever falls not down and worships shall the same hour be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded you: they serve not your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up."

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

"Now if you be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the…music, you fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if you worship not, you shall be thrown the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are…at no loss to answer you in this matter. 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 your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up."

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace…seven times more than it was customary to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to throw them into the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in a hurry, and spoke, and said unto his counselors, "Did not we throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?"

They answered and said unto the king, "True, O king."

He answered and said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the most high God, come out, and come here." Then they, came out of the midst of the fire.

And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

"Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything bad against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a manure heap: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

-Nebuchadnezzar’s Personal Experience-

"Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that live in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God has done toward me. How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

"I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

"…I saw, and look a tree in the middle of the earth, and the height of it was great. …And, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said this, ‘Saw down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches.

" ‘Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven years pass over him.’

"This dream I King Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now you, O Daniel, declare the interpretation of it, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but you are able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in you."

Then Daniel…was astonished for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke, and said, "Daniel, let not the dream, or the interpretation of it, trouble you."

Daniel answered and said, "My lord, the dream be to them that hate you, and the interpretation of it to your enemies. The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight of it to all the earth; It is you, O king, that are grown and become strong: for your greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

"This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: That they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven years shall pass over you, till you know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to who ever he will.

"Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of your tranquility."

All this came upon the King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke, and said, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?"

While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken; the kingdom is departed from you."

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

"And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.

"At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

"Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to humble."

REFERENCES

Daniel 3:1-2, 4-6, 8-9, 12-20, 22, 24-30; Daniel 4:1-5, 10, 13-16, 18-20, 22, 24-25, 27-31, 33-34, 36-37.

CHAPTER 56