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.
Oshitelekwafano shoshingoldo shaNebukadnesar
1 Ohamba Nebukadnesar okwa ningifa oshitelekwafano shoshingoldo. Ofika yasho eemeta omilongo hamano, nounene washo eemeta hamano, ndele ye okwe shi dika molufilu laDura, momukunda waBabilon. 2 Opo nee ohamba Nebukadnesar oya tuma ovatumwa, va ka shive omalenga novakulunhu vovakwaita novapangeli voilongo noovene vomikunda novapukululi novadiinini voiyandjwa yoshilongo novatokoli novayakuli aveshe vamwe vomoilongo, okuya keyapulo loshitelekwafano eshi sha dikwa kohamba Nebukadnesar. 3 Opo omalenga novakulunhu vovakwaita novapangeli voilongo novapukululi novadiinini voiyandjwa yoshilongo novatokoli novayakuli aveshe vamwe vomoilongo ova shakavaena keyapulo loshitelekwafano sha dikwa kohamba Nebukadnesar, ndele va kala ofika koshipala shoshitelekwafano sha dikwa kuNebukadnesar. 4 Ndele omwiingidi okwa ingida pombada ta ti: “Onye oiwana nomaludi nomalaka, tamu shiivifilwa: 5 ngeenge nye tamu udu ondaka yomanghuma noyeenyalilo noyouyaayaa noyoushandje noyouxumbafeta noyoumbulumbubwa nondaka youxumba ve lili nove lili, opo nee nye omu nokulinyongamena poshi, ndele tamu ilikana oshitelekwafano shoshingoldo eshi sha dikwa kohamba Nebukadnesar. 6 Ndele ou ite linyongamene poshi ndele ita ilikana, opo tuu ta ka ekelwa mediko lomundilo.” 7 Opo nee oiwana aishe nomaludi nomalaka eshi ya uda ondaka yomanghuma noyeenyalilo noyouyaayaa noyoushandje noyouxumbafeta noyoumbulumbubwa nondaka youxumba ve lili nove lili, opo nee oiwana aishe nomaludi nomalaka oye linyongamena poshi ndele tai ilikana oshitelekwafano shoshingoldo, osho sha dikwa kohamba Nebukadnesar. 8 Opo tuu opo pe uya ovalumenhu vamwe Ovakaldea okupopya ko Ovajuda. 9 Ovo va lombwela ohamba Nebukadnesar, tava ti: “Tatekulu ohamba nai kale alushe nomwenyo! 10 Ove ohamba wa yandja ondaka nokutya, keshe omunhu ta udu ondaka yomanghuma noyeenyalilo noyouyaayaa noyoushandje noyouxumbafeta noyoumbulumbubwa noyouxumba ve lili nove lili, e nokulinyongamena poshi nokwiilikana oshitelekwafano oshingoldo, 11 ndele keshe ou ta anye okulinyongamena poshi nokwiilikana, oye na ekelwe mediko lomundilo. 12 Ndele oku na ovalumenhu Ovajuda ava wa lenga va kale ovakulunhu voshilongo shaBabilon, Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego. Ovalumenhu ava kave na ko na sha noshipango shoye, ohamba. Oikalunga yoye itave i fimaneke noshitelekwafano oshingoldo, we shi dika, itave shi ilikana nokulinyongamena.” 13 Opo Nebukadnesar okwa handuka nomehandu la xwama okwa yandja ondaka, ve uye, ava Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego. Opo nee ovalumenhu ova etwa koshipala shohamba. 14 Ndele Nebukadnesar okwa popya kuvo ta ti: “Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego, eshi itamu fimaneke oikalunga yange, nye itamu ilikana oshitelekwafano oshingoldo eshi nda dika, omwe shi ningila owina? 15 Paife eshi, ngeenge tamu udu ondaka yomanghuma noyeenyalilo noyouyaayaa noyoushandja noyouxumbafeta noyoumbulumbubwa nondaka youxumba ve lili nove lili, kaleni mwe lilongekidila okulinyongamena poshi nokwiilikana oshitelekwafano eshi nde shi ninga, opo nawa. Ndelenee ngeenge itamu ilikana, opo tuu opo tamu ekelwa mediko lomundilo. Ndele Kalunga ou te mu xupifa momake ange, olyelye?” 16 Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego ova nyamukula ndele tava lombwele ohamba tava ti: “Nebukadnesar, kape nomhumbwe tu ku nyamukule moshinima eshi nando ondjovo imwe. 17 Ngaashi Kalunga ketu ou hatu mu longele, ta dulu oku tu xupifa. Oye te ke tu xupifa mo mediko lomundilo nomomake oye, ohamba, 18 ndelenee, ngeenge hasho, kala u shi shii, ohamba, fye itatu longele oikalunga yoye, noshitelekwafano oshingoldo eshi wa dika, fye itatu shi ilikana.”
19 Opo nee Nebukadnesar okwa handuka unene noshipala shaye sha didivalela Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego. Oye a yandja elombwelo ndele ta ti, ediko nali hanyekwe li kale la hanya oupyu u dule luheyali oupyu wonale. 20 Ndele ye okwa lombwela ovalumenhu vamwe ovanaenghono vomovakwaita vaye, va ka mange Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego, va ekelwe mediko lomundilo. 21 Opo nee ovalumenhu ava va mangwa, ova li va djala oikutu ile neembaikifa nomambale noikutu yavo imwe, ndele tava ekelwa mediko lomundilo. 22 Molwaashi ondjovo yohamba oya li idjuu nediko ola pupyalekwa neenghono, omalaka omutemo womundilo okwa dipaa ovalumenhu venya, va ekela mo Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego. 23 Ndelenee ovalumenhu ava vatatu Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego, ova wila mo mediko lomundilo va mangwa.
24 Opo nee ohamba Nebukadnesar oya haluka noya yambuka, ya kala ofika. Ndele tai lombwele omalenga ayo, ndele tai ti: “Ongahelipi, inatu ekela momundilo ovalumenhu vatatu, va mangwa?” Ovo va nyamukula ohamba, tava ti: “Oshili, ohamba!” 25 Ndele ye okwa nyamukula, ta ti: “Taleni, ame ondi wete mo ovalumenhu vane, tave linyenge momundilo, ndele vo kave na nande oshiponga, omutine okwa fa omona waKalunga.” 26 Opo Nebukadnesar okwa ehena poshivelo shediko lomundilo, ndele ta ti: “Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego, onye ovapiya vaKalunga wOkombadambada, djeni mo, ileni oku! Opo nee Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego ova dja mo mediko lomundilo.” 27 Opo nee omalenga novakulunhu vovakwaita novapangeli voilongo novapukululi vohamba ova ongala, ndele va mona omundilo eshi wa nyengwa okuxwika omalutu ovalumenhu ava, noinau vava eexwiki dokomitwe davo, ndele inau lungwinifa omalwakani avo; navo vene inava nyika nande omuvavu.
28 Opo nee Nebukadnesar a popya, ta ti: “Kalunga kaSadrak, kaMesak nokaAbednego na hambelelwe, ou a tuma omweengeli waye ndele a xupifa ovapiya vaye, ve mu lineekela, vo va tauluka oshipango shohamba, ndelenee vo ove liyandja omalutu avo vaha fimaneke ile vaha ilikane kalunga kamwe, ndelenee Kalunga kavo aeke. 29 Onghee hano keshe oshiwana noludi nelaka tali sheke Kalunga kaSadrak, kaMesak nokaAbednego, oye na timbaulwe oinhimbu, neumbo laye tali ka ninga oshuumbo. Osheshi kape na Kalunga kamwe e shii okuxupifa ngaashi ou.” 30 Opo nee ohamba oya lenga Sadrak, Mesak naAbednego omalenga manene oshilongo shaBabilon.
