19 That made Nevukadnetstsar absolutely furious and it could be seen in his face. He ordered that the furnace be made seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of his top warriors to tie up Shadrak, Meyshak, and Avednego and then to throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So while still fully dressed even with their turbans still on, they were tied up and thrown into the middle of the furnace where the fire was blazing. 22 Unfortunately, because of the king’s insistent command, the furnace was extremely hot and the flames killed the men who threw them in, 23 but Shadrak, Meyshak, and Avednego fell into the roaring flames while still securely tied up.

24 Then King Nevukadnetstsar was startled and jumped up and asked his counsellors, “Wasn’t it three who were tied up that were thrown there into the middle of the fire?

“Certainly, your majesty,” they replied.

25 “Look there, then!” he responded. “I can see four men walking in the middle of the fire, and they’re not tied up and they’re not hurt, and the fourth one looks like a young god.”

26 Then Nevukadnetstsar went over by the furnace door and called out, “Shadrak, Meyshak, and Avednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come over here!” Then the three men walked out from the middle of the fire. 27 All the king’s officials gathered around them and saw that the fire hadn’t harmed them—their hair wasn’t even singed, their cloaks weren’t damaged, and they didn’t even smell like smoke.

28 Nevukadnetstsar spoke, “Praise the god of Shadrak, Meyshak, and Avednego. He sent his angel and rescued his servants who had put their trust in him. They took objection to the king’s command at the cost of their own lives, rather than serve or worship any god except their god. 29 I hereby make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything offensive against the god of Shadrak, Meyshak, and Avednego will have their houses made into rubbish heaps and they’ll be torn limb from limb, because there’s no other god who’s able to save people like that.”

30 Then the king gave Shadrak (Hananyah), Meyshak (Misha’el), and Avednego (Azaryah) more important positions in Babylon province than they had before.