King Nebuchadnezzar's Gold Statue
1 King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built 27 meters high and nearly 3 meters wide. He had it set up in Dura Valley near the city of Babylon, 2 and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom to the dedication of the statue. 3 So all of them came and stood in front of it.
4 Then an official stood up and announced:
People of every nation and race, now listen to the king's command! 5 Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.
7 As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up.
8 Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. 9 They said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! 10 You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. 11 And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. 12 Sir, you appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”
13 King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men and said, 14 “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. 15 Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don't, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”
16 The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves. 17 The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. 18 But even if he doesn't, we still won't worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”
19 Nebuchadnezzar's face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. 21-23 The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.
24 Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren't only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” his officers answered.
25 “But I see four men walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”
They came out, 27 and the king's high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn't scorched, and their clothes didn't even smell like smoke. 28 King Nebuchadnezzar said:
Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. 29 And I won't allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.
30 After this happened, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in Babylon Province.
Nebukadnezzar ta lombwele ayehe, ya simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli
1 Omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar okwa hongitha oshiyelekela shoshingoli shi na uule woometa omilongo mbali naheyali nomutamo gwasho oometa ndatu konyala, e te shi dhikithile molushandja lwaDura moshikandjo shaBabilon. 2 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa lombwele oongoloneya, aaleli, ookomufala, aagandjimayele, aadhiginini yeliko, aatokolihapu, oomangestalata naakwanepangelo ayehe yalwe yomiitopolwa, ye ye keyapulo lyoshiyelekela shoka sha dhikwa komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar. 3 Aakwanepangelo mbaka ayehe sho ya gongala keyapulo noya thikama komeho goshiyelekela, 4 omunashipundi okwa popi newi lyopombanda a ti: “Aantu yiigwana ayihe, yomaludhi noyomalaka! 5 Otamu ku uva ewi lyoombenda lya landulwa kehiko lyoohiya, iiketala, uuharpa nuushandja, nonena iihikomwa yi ili noyi ili otayi itula mo. Opo tuu mpoka sho iihikomwa ya tameke, omu na okwiinyongamena pevi, mu simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka sha dhikwa po komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar. 6 Shaa ngoka itee shi inyongamene, e shi simaneke, ote ku umbilwa mbalambala meziko lya hanya.”
7 Nopo tuu mpoka sho yu uvu oshihomo shiihikomwa, aantu yomiigwana ayihe, yomaludhi agehe noyomalaka agehe, oya nyongama e taa simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka sha dhikwa po komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar.
Ookuume kaDaniel yatatu taa pewa ondjo yokwaavulika
8 Aababiloni yamwe oya mono ompito yokutamaneka Aajuda. 9 Oya ti komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar: “Omukwaniilwa na kale e na omwenyo sigo aluhe! 10 Nkeyama, owa gandja oshipango kutya nanziya ngele iihikomwa ya tameke, shaa ngoka na nyongame, a simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli, 11 nokutya shaa ngoka itaa nyongama, e shi simaneke, otu umbilwa meziko lya hanya. 12 Oku na Aajuda yamwe mboka we ya ningi aakuluntu yoshikandjo shaBabilon — Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego — mboka inaa vulika kelombwelo lyoye, Nkeyama. Itaa simaneke kalunga koye nenge yi inyongamene koshiyelekela we shi dhike.”
13 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa kala a thita po kondjahi e ta gandja elombwelo, aalumentu yatatu ye etwe koshipala she. 14 Okwa ti kuyo: “Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego, odhoshili tuu kutya ne omwa tinda okusimaneka kalunga kandje nokwiinyongamena koshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka nda dhike? 15 Eewa, shampa tuu mu uvu ewi lyoombenda, oohiya, iiketala, uuharpa nuushandja nolyiihikomwa ayihe yi ili noyi ili, nyongameni ne mu simaneke oshiyelekela. Ngele itamu shi ningi, nena otamu umbilwa mbala meziko lya hanya. Otamu dhiladhila kutya oku na kalunga ta vulu oku mu hupitha?”
16 Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego oya yamukula: “Tatekulu, itatu kambadhala okwiipopila tse yene. 17 Kalunga ngoka hatu mu longele okwa gwana oku tu hupitha meziko lya hanya nomiikaha yoye; ote ke shi ninga. 18 Ihe ngele ite shi ningi, Nkeyama, kala u shi shi, tse itatu ka simaneka kalunga koye noitatu inyongamene koshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka wa dhika.”
Ookuume kaDaniel yatatu taa pangulilwa eso
19 Nena Nebukadnezzar okwa kanitha eidhidhimiko lye, nomeho ge ga tiliganene Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego. Onkee okwa lombwele aantu ye, ya hanyeke eziko li pupyale li vule shito luheyali. 20 Nokwa lombwele aalumentu aanankondo yomaakwiita ye, ya mange aalumentu mboka yatatu noye yu umbile meziko lya hanya. 21 Mbaka oye ya manga — oya li ya zala oohema, oondjatha, omagala noonguwo dhawo adhihe dhilwe — noye ya umbile meziko lya hanya. 22 Ngashingeyi, molwaashoka omukwaniilwa a gandja elaka lya kola, eziko li pupyalekwe lela, omalaka gomulilo oga fike aalumentu mboka ye ya fala meziko. 23 Nena Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego, manga ya li ya mangwa, oya gwile menilela lyeziko lya hanya.
24 Ohaluka Nebukadnezzar okwa haluka a kunkwa. Okwa pula aambala ye: “Inatu manga nani aalumentu yatatu noku ya umbila meziko lya hanya?”
Oya yamukula ya ti: “Eeno, osho twa ningi, Nkeyama.”
25 Omukwaniilwa okwa pula a ti: “Ihe ongiini ano ndi wete aantu yane taa ende momulilo? Inaa mangwa yo kaye na endhindhiliko lyuuwehame — nomutine okwa fa omuna gwaKalunga.”
Aalumentu yatatu taye ethiwa e taa yelwa
26 Osho ngeyi Nebukadnezzar okwa thikama po e ta yi komweelo gweziko lya hanya nokwi ithana a ti: “Shadrak! Meshak! Abednego! Aamati yaKalunga gwokombandambanda! Zii mo.” Oyo noya zi mo nziya. 27 Oongoloneya, aaleli, ookomufala naakwanepangelo ayehe yalwe yomukwaniilwa oya gongala, ya tale aalumentu yatatu mbaka inaa lungunithwa komulilo. Omafufu gawo oga li inaaga yayuka, oonguwo dhawo inadhi pya nokaya li ya nika othungu.
28 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Tangeni Kalunga kaShadrak, Meshak naAbednego! Okwa tumu omuyengeli gwe nokwa hupitha aalumentu mbaka haye mu longele noye mu inekela. Oyo inaa vulika kiipango yandje noya hupula oomwenyo dhawo shi vulithe okwiinyongamena nokusimaneka kalunga kalwe, kakele Kalunga kawo yene.
29 “Ngashingeyi otandi gandja elombwelo kutya ngele oku na ngoka gwomoshigwana kehe, moludhi kehe nenge melaka kehe ta popi ta shundula Kalunga kaShadrak, Meshak naAbednego, oku na okundembagulwa miintimbu, negumbo lye otali ka halakanithwa po, li ninge ondumba yomakulukuma. Kaku na kalunga kalwe ta vulu okuhupitha, ngaashi twe shi mono nena.”
30 Omukwaniilwa nokwa lenge Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego omalenga omanene moshikandjo shaBabilon.
