The Story of the Fiery Furnace
A Children's Bible Story
There was in the land of Judah a wicked king-named Jehoiakim, son of the good Josiah.
While Jehoiakim was ruling over the land of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, a great conqueror of
the nations, came from Babylon with his army of Chaldean soldiers. He took the city of
Jerusalem, and made Jehoiakim promise to submit to him as his master. And when he went
back to his own land he took with him all the gold and silver that he could find in the
Temple; and he carried away as captives very many of the princes and nobles, the best
people in the land of Judah.
When these Jews were brought to the land of Chaldea or Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar
gave orders to the prince, who had charge of his palace, to choose among these Jewish
captives some young men who were of noble rank, and beautiful in their looks, and also
quick and bright in their minds; young men who would be able to learn readily. These young
men were to be placed under the care of wise men, who should teach them all that they
knew, and fit them to stand before the king of Babylon, so that they might be his helpers to
carry out his orders; and the king wished them to be wise, so that they might give him
advice in ruling his people.
Among the young men thus chosen were four Jews, men who had been brought from
Judah. By order of the king the names of these men were changed. One of them, named
Daniel, was to be called Belteshazzer; the other three young men were called Shadrach,
Meshach and Abed-nego. They were taught in all the knowledge of the Chaldeans; and after
three years of training they were taken into the king's palace.
King Nebuchadnezzar was pleased with them, more than with any others who stood before
him. He found them wise and faithful in the work given to them, and able to rule over men
under them. And these four men came to the highest places in the kingdom of the Chaldeans.
At one time King Nebuchadnezzar caused a great image to be made, and to be covered with
gold. This image he set up, as an idol to be worshipped, on the plain of Dura, near the city of
Babylon. When it was finished, it stood upon its base or foundation almost a hundred feet
high; so that upon the plain it could be seen far away. Then the king sent out a command for
all the princes, and rulers, and nobles in the land, to come to a great gathering, when the
image was to be set apart for worship.
The great men of the kingdom came from far and near and stood around the image. Among
them, by command of the king, were Daniel's three friends, the young Jews, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego. For some reason, Daniel himself was not there. He may have been
busy with the work of the kingdom in some other place.
At one moment in the service before the image, all the trumpets sounded, the drums were
beaten, and music was made upon musical instruments of all kinds, as a signal for all the
people to kneel down and worship the great golden image. But while the people were
kneeling, there were three men who stood up, and would not bow down. These were the
three young Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They knelt down before the Lord
God only.
Many of the nobles had been jealous of these young men, because they had been lifted to
high places in the rule of the kingdom; and these men who hated Daniel and his friends, were
glad to find that these three men had not obeyed the command of King Nebuchadnezzar. The
king had said that if any one did not worship the golden image he should be thrown into a
furnace of fire. These men who hated the Jews came to the king and said:
"O king, may you live for ever! You gave orders that when the music sounded, every one
should bow down and worship the golden image; and that if any man did not worship, he
should be thrown into a furnace of fire. There are some Jews, whom you have made rulers
in the land, who have not done as you commanded. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach and
Abed-nego. They do not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you have set
up."
While Jehoiakim was ruling over the land of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, a great conqueror of
the nations, came from Babylon with his army of Chaldean soldiers. He took the city of
Jerusalem, and made Jehoiakim promise to submit to him as his master. And when he went
back to his own land he took with him all the gold and silver that he could find in the
Temple; and he carried away as captives very many of the princes and nobles, the best
people in the land of Judah.
When these Jews were brought to the land of Chaldea or Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar
gave orders to the prince, who had charge of his palace, to choose among these Jewish
captives some young men who were of noble rank, and beautiful in their looks, and also
quick and bright in their minds; young men who would be able to learn readily. These young
men were to be placed under the care of wise men, who should teach them all that they
knew, and fit them to stand before the king of Babylon, so that they might be his helpers to
carry out his orders; and the king wished them to be wise, so that they might give him
advice in ruling his people.
Among the young men thus chosen were four Jews, men who had been brought from
Judah. By order of the king the names of these men were changed. One of them, named
Daniel, was to be called Belteshazzer; the other three young men were called Shadrach,
Meshach and Abed-nego. They were taught in all the knowledge of the Chaldeans; and after
three years of training they were taken into the king's palace.
King Nebuchadnezzar was pleased with them, more than with any others who stood before
him. He found them wise and faithful in the work given to them, and able to rule over men
under them. And these four men came to the highest places in the kingdom of the Chaldeans.
At one time King Nebuchadnezzar caused a great image to be made, and to be covered with
gold. This image he set up, as an idol to be worshipped, on the plain of Dura, near the city of
Babylon. When it was finished, it stood upon its base or foundation almost a hundred feet
high; so that upon the plain it could be seen far away. Then the king sent out a command for
all the princes, and rulers, and nobles in the land, to come to a great gathering, when the
image was to be set apart for worship.
The great men of the kingdom came from far and near and stood around the image. Among
them, by command of the king, were Daniel's three friends, the young Jews, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego. For some reason, Daniel himself was not there. He may have been
busy with the work of the kingdom in some other place.
At one moment in the service before the image, all the trumpets sounded, the drums were
beaten, and music was made upon musical instruments of all kinds, as a signal for all the
people to kneel down and worship the great golden image. But while the people were
kneeling, there were three men who stood up, and would not bow down. These were the
three young Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They knelt down before the Lord
God only.
Many of the nobles had been jealous of these young men, because they had been lifted to
high places in the rule of the kingdom; and these men who hated Daniel and his friends, were
glad to find that these three men had not obeyed the command of King Nebuchadnezzar. The
king had said that if any one did not worship the golden image he should be thrown into a
furnace of fire. These men who hated the Jews came to the king and said:
"O king, may you live for ever! You gave orders that when the music sounded, every one
should bow down and worship the golden image; and that if any man did not worship, he
should be thrown into a furnace of fire. There are some Jews, whom you have made rulers
in the land, who have not done as you commanded. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach and
Abed-nego. They do not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you have set
up."
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Nebuchadnezzar was fitted with rage
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage and fury at knowing that any one should dare to
disobey his words. He sent for these three men and said to them:
"O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, was it by purpose that you did not fall down and
worship the image of gold? The music shall sound once more, and if you then will worship
the image, it will be well. But if you will not, then you shall be thrown into the furnace of fire,
to die."
These three young men were not afraid of the king. They said:
"O King Nebuchadnezzar, we are ready to answer you at once. The God whom we serve is
able to save us from the fiery furnace, and we know that he will save us. But if it is God's will
that we should die, even then you may understand, O king, that we will not serve your gods,
nor worship the golden image."
This answer made the king more furious than before. He said to his servants:
"Make a fire in the furnace hotter than ever it has been before, as hot as fire can be made; and
throw these three men into it."
Then the soldiers of the king's army seized the three young Jews, as they stood in their loose
robes, with their turbans on their heads. They tied them with ropes, and dragged them to the
mouth of the furnace, and threw them into the fire. The flames rushed from the opened door
with such fury that they burned even to death the soldiers who were holding these men; and
the men themselves fell down bound into the middle of the fiery furnace.
But an angel befriended them and they were unhurt.
disobey his words. He sent for these three men and said to them:
"O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, was it by purpose that you did not fall down and
worship the image of gold? The music shall sound once more, and if you then will worship
the image, it will be well. But if you will not, then you shall be thrown into the furnace of fire,
to die."
These three young men were not afraid of the king. They said:
"O King Nebuchadnezzar, we are ready to answer you at once. The God whom we serve is
able to save us from the fiery furnace, and we know that he will save us. But if it is God's will
that we should die, even then you may understand, O king, that we will not serve your gods,
nor worship the golden image."
This answer made the king more furious than before. He said to his servants:
"Make a fire in the furnace hotter than ever it has been before, as hot as fire can be made; and
throw these three men into it."
Then the soldiers of the king's army seized the three young Jews, as they stood in their loose
robes, with their turbans on their heads. They tied them with ropes, and dragged them to the
mouth of the furnace, and threw them into the fire. The flames rushed from the opened door
with such fury that they burned even to death the soldiers who were holding these men; and
the men themselves fell down bound into the middle of the fiery furnace.
But an angel befriended them and they were unhurt.
An angel befriended them
King Nebuchadnezzar stood in front of
the furnace, and looked into the open
door. As he looked, he was filled with
wonder at what he saw; and he said to
the nobles around him:
"Did we not throw three men bound into
the fire? How is it then that I see four
men loose walking in the furnace; and
the fourth man looks as though he were
a son of the gods?"
And the nobles who stood by could
scarcely speak, so great was their
surprise.
"It is true, O king," at last they said to
Nebuchadnezzar, "that we cast these
men into the flames, expecting them to
be burned up; and we cannot understand
how it happens that they have not been
destroyed."
The king came near to the door of the
furnace, as the fire became lower; and he
called out to the three men within it:
the furnace, and looked into the open
door. As he looked, he was filled with
wonder at what he saw; and he said to
the nobles around him:
"Did we not throw three men bound into
the fire? How is it then that I see four
men loose walking in the furnace; and
the fourth man looks as though he were
a son of the gods?"
And the nobles who stood by could
scarcely speak, so great was their
surprise.
"It is true, O king," at last they said to
Nebuchadnezzar, "that we cast these
men into the flames, expecting them to
be burned up; and we cannot understand
how it happens that they have not been
destroyed."
The king came near to the door of the
furnace, as the fire became lower; and he
called out to the three men within it:
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye who serve the Most High God, come out of the fire,
and come to me."
They came out and stood before the king, in the sight of all the princes, and nobles, and rulers;
and every one could see that they were alive.
Their garments had not been scorched, nor their hair singed, nor was there even the smell of
fire upon them.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar said before all his rulers:
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel, and has
saved the lives of these men who trusted in him. I make a law that no man in all my kingdoms
shall say a word against their God, for there is no other god who can save in this manner those
who worship him. And if any man speaks a word against their God, the Most High God, that
man shall be cut in pieces, and his house shall be torn down."
After King Nebuchadnezzar died, his kingdom became weak, and the city of Babylon was taken
by the Medes and Persians, under Cyrus, a great warrior.
and come to me."
They came out and stood before the king, in the sight of all the princes, and nobles, and rulers;
and every one could see that they were alive.
Their garments had not been scorched, nor their hair singed, nor was there even the smell of
fire upon them.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar said before all his rulers:
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel, and has
saved the lives of these men who trusted in him. I make a law that no man in all my kingdoms
shall say a word against their God, for there is no other god who can save in this manner those
who worship him. And if any man speaks a word against their God, the Most High God, that
man shall be cut in pieces, and his house shall be torn down."
After King Nebuchadnezzar died, his kingdom became weak, and the city of Babylon was taken
by the Medes and Persians, under Cyrus, a great warrior.