Chapter 1
In the third year ofthe reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some ofthe vessels of the house of God. And he brought them tothe land of Shinar, to the house of his god,and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.3Then the king commanded Ashpenaz,his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family[a]and ofthe nobility,4youths withoutblemish, of good appearance andskillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and toteach them the literature and language of theChaldeans.5The king assigned them a daily portion ofthe food that the king ate, and ofthe wine that he drank. They were to be educated forthree years, and at the end of that time they were tostand before the king.6Among these wereDaniel,Hananiah,Mishael, andAzariah of the tribe of Judah.7Andthe chief of the eunuchsgave them names:Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8But Danielresolved that he would notdefile himself withthe king's food, or withthe wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not todefile himself.9And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,10and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,12Test your servants forten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.13Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eatthe king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.14So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.15At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who atethe king's food.16So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave themvegetables.
17As for these four youths,God gave them learning andskill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel hadunderstanding in all visions and dreams.18At the end ofthe time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.19And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Thereforethey stood before the king.20And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than allthe magicians andenchanters that were in all his kingdom.21And Danielwas there until the first year ofKing Cyrus.
Chapter 3
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! 10 You, 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. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There 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. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar 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? 15 Now 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. 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? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If 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. 18 But 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. 19 Then 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. 20 And 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. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because 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. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then 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. 25 He 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.Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7SW7eXqYMY
