Nebuchadnezzar Commands Everyone to Worship a Gold Statue
1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and he had it set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then the king gave orders for all his officials to come together—the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, commissioners, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces. They were to attend the dedication of the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 When all these officials gathered for the dedication and stood in front of the statue, 4 a herald announced in a loud voice, “People of all nations, races, and languages! 5 You will hear the sound of the trumpets, followed by the playing of oboes, lyres, zithers, and harps; and then all the other instruments will join in. As soon as the music starts, you are to bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Anyone who does not bow down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 7 And so, as soon as they heard the sound of the instruments, the people of all the nations, races, and languages bowed down and worshiped the gold statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel's Three Friends Are Accused of Disobedience
8 It was then that some Babylonians took the opportunity to denounce the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May Your Majesty live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued an order that as soon as the music starts, everyone is to bow down and worship the gold statue, 11 and that anyone who does not bow down and worship it is to be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 There are some Jews whom you put in charge of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who are disobeying Your Majesty's orders. They do not worship your god or bow down to the statue you set up.”
13 At that, the king flew into a rage and ordered the three men to be brought before him. 14 He said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you refuse to worship my god and to bow down to the gold statue I have set up? 15 Now then, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, oboes, lyres, zithers, harps, and all the other instruments, bow down and worship the statue. If you do not, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Do you think there is any god who can save you?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. 17 If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. 18 But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.”
Daniel's Three Friends Are Sentenced to Death
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar lost his temper, and his face turned red with anger at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 And he commanded the strongest men in his army to tie the three men up and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up, fully dressed—shirts, robes, caps, and all—and threw them into the blazing furnace. 22 Now because the king had given strict orders for the furnace to be made extremely hot, the flames burned up the guards who took the men to the furnace. 23 Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, still tied up, fell into the heart of the blazing fire.
24 Suddenly Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement. He asked his officials, “Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the blazing furnace?”
They answered, “Yes, we did, Your Majesty.”
25 “Then why do I see four men walking around in the fire?” he asked. “They are not tied up, and they show no sign of being hurt—and the fourth one looks like an angel.”
The Three Men Are Released and Promoted
26 So Nebuchadnezzar went up to the door of the blazing furnace and called out, “Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego! Servants of the Supreme God! Come out!” And they came out at once. 27 All the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, and other officials of the king gathered to look at the three men, who had not been harmed by the fire. Their hair was not singed, their clothes were not burned, and there was no smell of smoke on them.
28 The king said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued these men who serve and trust him. They disobeyed my orders and risked their lives rather than bow down and worship any god except their own.
29 “And now I command that if anyone of any nation, race, or language speaks disrespectfully of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he is to be torn limb from limb, and his house is to be made a pile of ruins. There is no other god who can rescue like this.”
30 And the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to higher positions in the province of Babylon.
Nebukadnesar ma rakiza kutja omundu auhe e rikotamene kotjiserekarera tjomundu tjongoldo
1 Ombara Nebukadnesar wa ungurisire otjiserekarera tjomundu tjongoldo tjoutonga wozometa omirongo vivari na hambombari nouparanga wozometa mangara ndatu; neye we tji zikire morutjandja rwa Dura morukondwa rwotjihuro Babilon. 2 Ombara ya yandja omarakiza kovahongore vayo avehe kutja ve worongane, okutja ovaingona nozongooneya, novanane ozohongora vokehi noviuru, novawonge vovimariva novapangure ovanene novokehi, novaungure avehe votukondwa twouhona. Owo va sere okukara po pomanyando womazikiro wotjiserekarera tjomundu ngwi tji tja zikirwe i ombara Nebukadnesar. 3 Ovahongore avehe mba tji va woronganena omazikiro nga nu tji va kurama momurungu wotjiserekarera tjomundu hi, 4 omuravaere otja tjivisa neraka enene na tja: “Vandu voviwaṋa novomihoko avihe novomaraka aehe! 5 Eṋe mamu zuu ombosiro yozohiva novanyande vozonya novozohiva novovinangoma noyoviharpe; nu tjazumba ovinangoma avihe vyarwe mavi posire mumwe. Mokamanga omaimburiro tji ya utu, eṋe mamu ripete namu rikotamene kotjiserekarera tjomundu tjongoldo tji tja zikwa i ombara Nebukadnesar. 6 Omundu ngamwa auhe ngu hi nokuwa onḓurumika nokurikotamena ku tjo ma yumbwa tjimanga mezuko romuriro.” 7 Nu komuhingo mbwi mokamanga tji va zuu ombosiro yovinangoma, ovandu voviwaṋa novomihoko avihe novomaraka aehe va wa onḓurumika nave rikotamene kotjiserekarera tjomundu tjongoldo tji tja zikirwe i ombara Nebukadnesar.
Omapanga wa Daniel yetatu maye pewa ondjo yokuhinanḓuviro
8 Moruveze tjingero ndo Ovababilon tjiva va horora Ovajuda movineya. 9 Owo va tja nai kombara Nebukadnesar: “omuhona ombara nga hupe orure! 10 Omuhona ombara wa rakiza kutja kamanga ombosiro yovinangoma tji ya utwa, omundu auhe nga we onḓurumika nu me rikotamene kotjiserekarera tjongoldo, 11 nokutja auhe ngu hi nokutjita nao ma yumbwa mezuko romuriro. 12 Pe nOvajuda tjiva mbu wa twa mokutjevera orukondwa rwotjihuro Babilon, ooSadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego mbe hi nonḓuviro komarakiza woye, muhona ombara. Owo kave rikotamene komukuru woye, nu kave u onḓurumika kotjiserekarera tjongoldo tji wa zika.”
13 Komuhingo mbwi ombara ya ṱomazenge tjinene nai rakiza kutja ovarumendu vetatu mba ve etwe komurungu wayo. 14 Ombara ya tja nai ku wo: “Sadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego, ouatjiri kutja eṋe mamu panḓa okurikotamena komukuru wandje nokuwa onḓurumika kotjiserekarera tjongoldo tji mba zika are? 15 Nambano mokamanga tji mwa zuu ombosiro yozohiva nozonya noviharpe novinangoma avihe vyarwe, wee onḓurumika nu mu rikotamene kotjiserekarera. Tji mu hi nokutjita nao mamu yumbwa tjimanga mezuko romuriro. Mamu tjangovasi pe nomukuru ngamwa ngu ma sora okumuyama momake wandje are?”
16 Sadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego va zira ombara ave tja: “Muhona ombara, eṱe katu nakuhepa okuriyeura oveni. 17 Ndjambi ngu tu karera tji ma vanga okutuyama mezuko romuriro na kouvara woye, eye me tu yama. 18 Nungwari eye nanda ha tjitire nao, omuhona ombara nga tjiwe kutja, tjiri, eṱe kamaatu rikotamene komukuru woye, nu kamaatu u onḓurumika kotjiserekarera tjongoldo tji wa zika.”
Omapanga wa Daniel yetatu maye verwa kokuṱa
19 Nebukadnesar wa pindikira ko tjinene, neye wa tivaurisa omurungu we kooSadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego. Eye otja rakiza kovarumendu ve kutja ve rundise ezuko potuhambombari komurungu waindu tji u kara aruhe. 20 Wina wa rakiza kutja ovarumendu ovanamasa tjinene votjimbumba tje tjovita ve pandeke ovarumendu vetatu mba nu ve ve yumbe mezuko romuriro. 21 Owo otji ve ve pandeka ngunda ave nozombanda azehe, okutja ozohema notupera nozonḓuru, nave ve yumbu mezuko romuriro. 22 Nambano ombara tjinga aya yandja omarakiza omazeu kutja ezuko ri rundisiwe tjinene, otururumo otjinga atwa nyosa ovatjevere mba twara ovarumendu vetatu mba kezuko. 23 Sadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego ngunda ava pandekwa otji va wira mokati komuriro mbu mau ruruma.
24 Mokamanga Nebukadnesar wa sekama a kumwa na pura kovahongore ve a tja: “Katu pandekere ovarumendu vetatu mba nokuveyumba mezuko romuriro are?”
Owo va zira ave tja: “Ii, otji twa tjiti nao, muhona ombara.”
25 Nombara ya pura nai: “Okutjavi tji me munu ovarumendu vane mbu mave ryanga momuriro? Owo kave pandekerwe, nu kave nakumunika aayo mave hihamwa, nu ingwi outjaine ma munika otja omukuru.”
Ovarumendu vetatu mba mave kuturwa nave yerwa
26 Nebukadnesar otja ya komuvero wezuko romuriro na kaisana nai: “Sadrak! Mesak! Abed-Nego! Vakarere va Ndjambi wOkombandambanda! Piteye!” Nowo otji va pita tjimanga. 27 Ovaingona nozongooneya novanane ozohongora vokehi novaungure avehe vombara va worongana okumuna ovarumendu vetatu mba, ku ku ha ṱunine omuriro; ozondjise zawo kaze vaukire, nozombanda zawo kaze ningirire, nowo kaave ṋuka omuise womuriro.
28 Ombara ya tja nai: “Nga hivirikwe Ndjambi wooSadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego! Eye wa hinda omuengeri we nu wa yama ovarumendu mba mbe mu karera nokuriyameka ku ye. Owo kave karere nonḓuviro komarakiza wandje, nu va yandja ominyo vyawo kokuṱa komurungu wokuwa onḓurumika nokurikotamena komukuru ngamwa auhe posi ya Ndjambi wawo oveni.
29 “Nu nambano ami me rakiza kutja omundu ngamwa auhe woviwaṋa nomihoko avihe nowomaraka aehe ngu ma yamburura Ndjambi wooSadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego ma porwa oviṋepo pekepeke, nondjuwo ye mai tjitwa otjitambatundu. Kape nomukuru warwe ngu yama otja ingwi.”
30 Nombara ya yera Sadrak na Mesak na Abed-Nego nai ve pe oviungura vyokombanda morukondwa rwehi ra Babilon.
