1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide: he put it up in the valley of Dura, in the land of Babylon.

2 And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to get together all the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, to come to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.

3 Then the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, came together to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up; and they took their places before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had put up.

4 Then one of the king's criers said in a loud voice, To you the order is given, O peoples, nations, and languages,

5 That when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, comes to your ears, you are to go down on your faces in worship before the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king has put up:

6 And anyone not falling down and worshipping will that same hour be put into a burning and flaming fire.

7 So at that time, all the people, when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, and all sorts of instruments, came to their ears, went down on their faces in worship before the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.

8 At that time certain Chaldaeans came near and made a statement against the Jews.

9 They made answer and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O King, have life for ever.

10 You, O King, have given an order that every man, when the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, comes to his ears, is to go down on his face in worship before the image of gold:

11 And anyone not falling down and worshipping is to be put into a burning and flaming fire.

12 There are certain Jews whom you have put over the business of the land of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men have not given attention to you, O King: they are not servants of your gods or worshippers of the gold image which you have put up.

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his wrath and passion gave orders for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to be sent for. Then they made these men come in before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you will not be servants of my god or give worship to the image of gold which I have put up?

15 Now if you are ready, on hearing the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all sorts of instruments, to go down on your faces in worship before the image which I have made, it is well: but if you will not give worship, that same hour you will be put into a burning and flaming fire; and what god is there who will be able to take you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answering Nebuchadnezzar the king, said, There is no need for us to give you an answer to this question.

17 If our God, whose servants we are, is able to keep us safe from the burning and flaming fire, and from your hands, O King, he will keep us safe.

18 But if not, be certain, O King, that we will not be the servants of your gods, or give worship to the image of gold which you have put up.

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of wrath, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: and he gave orders that the fire was to be heated up seven times more than it was generally heated.

20 And he gave orders to certain strong men in his army to put cords on Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and put them into the burning and flaming fire.

21 Then these men had cords put round them as they were, in their coats, their trousers, their hats, and their clothing, and were dropped into the burning and flaming fire.

22 And because the king's order was not to be put on one side, and the heat of the fire was so great, the men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were burned to death by the flame of the fire.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, with the cords about them, went down into the burning and flaming fire.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar, full of fear and wonder, got up quickly, and said to his wise men, Did we not put three men in cords into the fire? and they made answer and said to the king, True, O King.

25 He made answer and said, Look! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not damaged; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the door of the burning and flaming fire: he made answer and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the fire.

27 And the captains, the chiefs, and the rulers, and the king's wise men who had come together, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had no power, and not a hair of their heads was burned, and their coats were not changed, and there was no smell of fire about them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel and kept his servants safe who had faith in him, and who put the king's word on one side and gave up their bodies to the fire, so that they might not be servants or worshippers of any other god but their God.

29 And it is my decision that any people, nation, or language saying evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, will be cut to bits and their houses made waste: because there is no other god who is able to give salvation such as this.

30 Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego even greater authority in the land of Babylon.

1 I hanga e Kingi Nepukaneha he whakapakoko koura, ko tona roa e ono tekau whatianga, a ko tona whanui e ono whatianga: a whakaturia ana e ia ki te mania o Rura i te kawanatanga o Papurona.

2 Katahi a Kingi Nepukaneha ka tono tangata ki te huihui i nga ariki, i nga kawana, i nga rangatira, i nga kaiwhakawa, i nga kaitiaki taonga, i nga kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro, i era atu rangatira, i nga kawana katoa o nga kawanatanga, kia haere mai ki te tainga o te kawa o te whakapakoko i whakaturia e Kingi Nepukaneha.

3 Katahi nga ariki, nga kawana, nga rangatira, nga kaiwhakawa, nga kaitiaki taonga, nga kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro, era atu rangatira, me nga kawana katoa o nga kawanatanga ka huihui ki te tainga o te kawa o te whakapakoko kua whakaturia nei e Kingi N epukaneha; na tu ana ratou ki te aronga o te whakapakoko kua whakaturia nei e Nepukaneha.

4 Katahi ka nui atu te karanga a te kaikaranga, He whakahau tenei ki a koutou, e nga tangata, e nga iwi, e nga reo:

5 A te wa e rongo ai koutou i te tangi o te koronete, o te putorino, o te hapa, o te hakaputa, o te hatere, o te taratimere, o nga mea tangi katoa, me takoto koutou, me koropiko ki te whakapakoko koura kua whakaturia nei e Kingi Nepukaneha.

6 Na ki te kahore tetahi e takoto, e koropiko, ka maka ia i taua haora ano ki waenganui o te oumu he mura rawa nei te ngiha.

7 Na reira, i taua wa, i te rongonga o te iwi katoa i te tangi o te koronete, o te putorino, o te hapa, o te hakaputa, o te hatere, o nga mea tangi katoa, takoto tonu iho nga tangata katoa, nga iwi, nga reo, koropiko ana ki te whakapakoko koura kua tu nei i a Kingi Nepukaneha.

8 Heoi i taua wa ka haere mai etahi Karari, ka whakahe ki nga Hurai.

9 I korero ratou, i mea ki a Kingi Nepukaneha, E te kingi, kia ora tonu koe.

10 I whakatakotoria e koe he ture, e te kingi, na, ko nga tangata katoa e rongo ana i te tangi o te koronete, o te putorino, o te hapa, o te hakaputa, o te hatere o te taratimere, o nga mea tangi katoa, kia takoto, kia koropiko ki te whakapakoko ko ura:

11 A, ki te kahore tetahi e takoto, e koropiko, kia maka ia ki te oumu he mura rawa te ngiha.

12 Tenei etahi Hurai, he hunga i whakaritea e koe hei kaitirotiro mo nga mea o te kawanatanga o Papurona, ko Hataraka, ko Mehaka, ko Apereneko; kihai enei tangata i whakaaro ki a koe, e te kingi; kahore ratou e mahi ki ou atua, kahore e koropiko ki te whakapakoko koura ka oti nei te whakatu e koe.

13 Katahi a Nepukaneha i runga i tona riri me te weriweri ka whakahau kia mauria mai a Hataraka, a Mehaka, a Apereneko. Katahi ka kawea mai e ratou aua tangata ki te aroaro o te kingi.

14 I korero a Nepukaneha, i mea ki a ratou, He mea ata whakaaro ranei, e Hataraka, e Mehaka, e Apereneko, e kore nei koutou e mahi ki oku atua, e kore nei e koropiko ki te whakapakoko koura kua tu nei i ahau?

15 Na ki te hihiko koutou i te wa e rongo ai koutou i te tangi o te koronete, o te putorino, o te hapa, o te hakaputa, o te hatere, o te taratimere, o nga mea tangi katoa, a ka takoto, ka koropiko, ki te whakapakoko i hanga e ahau, he pai; tena ki te kahore koutou e koropiko, ka maka koutou i taua haora ki te oumu he mura rawa tona ngiha; a ko wai te atua hei whakaora i a koutou i roto i oku ringa?

16 I whakahoki a Hataraka, a Mehaka, a Apereneko, i mea ki te kingi, E Nepukaneha, kahore a matou maharahara ki te whakahoki kupu ki a koe mo tenei mea.

17 Ki te penatia, e taea ano e to matou Atua, e karakiatia nei e matou, te whakaora i a matou i roto i te oumu he mura rawa nei te ngiha, ina, ka whakaorangia ano matou e ia i tou ringa, e te kingi.

18 Otiia ka kore, kia mohio koe, e te kingi, e kore matou e mahi ki ou atua, e kore ano e koropiko ki te whakapakoko koura kua tu na i a koe.

19 Ki tonu i reira a Nepukaneha i te riri, rere ke ana te ahua o tona mata ki a Hataraka, ki a Mehaka, ki a Apereneko: korero ana ia, whakahau ana kia whitu nga whakanekehanga ake o te hana o te oumu i to mua hana.

20 I whakahau ano ia i nga tangata kaha rawa o tana ope kia herea a Hataraka, a Mehaka, a Apereneko, kia maka ki roto ki te oumu he mura rawa nei te ngiha.

21 Katahi ka herea nga tangata nei i roto tonu i o ratou tarau, i o ratou koti, i o ratou koroka me era atu o o ratou kakahu, a ka maka ki roto ki te oumu he mura rawa nei tona ngiha.

22 Na reira, i te akiaki rawa o te whakahau a te kingi, i te nui rawa hoki o te hana o te ahi, mate iho i te mura o te ahi nga tangata nana i kawe a Hataraka, a Mehaka, a Apereneko.

23 Na ka taka nga tangata tokotoru nei, a Hataraka, a Mehaka, a Apereneko, he mea here, ki waenganui o te oumu he mura rawa nei tona ngiha.

24 Ko te tino miharotanga o Nepukaneha, hohoro tonu tona whakatika, kei te korero, kei te mea ki ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro, He teka ianei tokotoru nga tangata i maka e tatou, he mea here, ki waenganui o te ahi? Ka whakahoki ratou, ka mea ki te ki ngi, He tika ano, e te kingi.

25 Ka whakahoki ia, ka mea, Nana, tokowha nga tangata e kitea nei e ahau, kahore he here, e haereere ana i waenganui o te ahi, kahore hoki e ahatia; na, ko te ahua o te tuawha kei to te Tama a te Atua.

26 Katahi ka whakatata a Nepukaneha ki te waha o te oumu he mura rawa nei te ngiha, kei te korero, kei te mea, E Hataraka, e Mehaka, e Apereneko, e nga pononga a te Atua, a te Runga Rawa, puta mai, haere mai hoki. Katahi a Hataraka ratou ko Mehaka, ko Apereneko ka puta mai i waenganui o te ahi.

27 Na, ko te huihuinga o nga ariki, o nga kawana, o nga rangatira, o nga kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro a te kingi, ka kite ratou i enei tangata, kihai nei te ahi i whai kaha ki o ratou tinana, kihai ano nga makawe o o ratou mahunga i hunua, kihai ano o r atou koti i puta ke, kihai ano te haunga ahi i rere i runga i a ratou.

28 Ka korero a Nepukaneha, ka mea, Kia whakapaingia te Atua o Hataraka, o Mehaka, o Apereneko, nana nei i unga mai tana anahera, a whakaorangia ana e ia ana pononga i whakawhirinaki nei ki a ia, i whakaputa ke nei i te kupu a te kingi, a tukua ana e ratou o ratou tinana, he mea kei mahi ratou, kei koropiko ki tetahi atu atua, engari ki to ratou Atua anake.

29 Na ko taku ture tenei e whakatakoto nei, na, ko nga tangata, ko te iwi, ko te reo, he kupu kino nei tana mo te Atua o Hataraka, o Mehaka, o Apereneko, ka haehaea ratou, a ka meinga o ratou whare hei puranga paru: no te mea kahore atu he atua he rite tana whakaora ki ta tenei.

30 Katahi ka whakanekehia ake ano a Hataraka, a Mehaka, a Apereneko e te kingi i te kawanatanga o Papurona.