Chapter 3

Naboucodonosor o basileuV ekamen eikona crushn, to uyoV authV exhkonta phcwn kai to platoV authV ex phcwn× kai esthsen authn en th pediadi Doura, en th eparcia thV BabulwnoV.

Kai apesteile Naboucodonosor o basileuV na sunaxh touV satrapaV, touV dioikhtaV kai touV toparcaV, touV kritaV, touV qhsaurofulakaV, touV sumboulouV, touV nomodidaskalouV kai pantaV touV arcontaV twn eparciwn, dia na elqwsin eiV ta egkainia thV eikonoV, thn opoian esthse Naboucodonosor o basileuV.

Kai oi satrapai, oi dioikhtai kai oi toparcai, oi kritai, oi qhsaurofulakeV, oi sumbouloi, oi nomodidaskaloi kai panteV oi arconteV twn eparciwn sunhcqhsan eiV ta egkainia thV eikonoV, thn opoian esthse Naboucodonosor o basileuV× kai estaqhsan emprosqen thV eikonoV, thn opoian esthsen o Naboucodonosor.

Kai khrux eboa megalofwnwV, EiV esaV prostattetai, laoi, eqnh kai glwssai,

kaq' hn wran akoushte ton hcon thV salpiggoV, thV suriggoV, thV kiqaraV, thV sambukhV, tou yalthriou, thV sumfwniaV kai pantoV eidouV mousikhV, pesonteV proskunhsate thn eikona thn crushn, thn opoian esthse Naboucodonosor o basileuV×

kai ostiV den pesh kai proskunhsh, thn authn wran qelei rifqh eiV to meson thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV.

Dia touto ote hkousan panteV oi laoi ton hcon thV salpiggoV, thV suriggoV, thV kiqaraV, thV sambukhV, tou yalthriou kai pantoV eidouV mousikhV, piptonteV panteV oi laoi, ta eqnh kai ai glwssai prosekunoun thn eikona thn crushn, thn opoian esthse Naboucodonosor o basileuV.

Caldaioi de tineV proshlqon tote kai diebalon touV IoudaiouV×

kai eipon legonteV proV ton basilea Naboucodonosor, Basileu, zhqi eiV ton aiwna.

Su, basileu, exedwkaV prostagma, paV anqrwpoV, ostiV akoush ton hcon thV salpiggoV, thV suriggoV, thV kiqaraV, thV sambukhV, tou yalthriou kai thV sumfwniaV kai pantoV eidouV mousikhV, na pesh kai na proskunhsh thn eikona thn crushn×

kai ostiV den pesh kai proskunhsh, na rifqh eiV to meson thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV.

Einai andreV tineV Ioudaioi, touV opoiouV katesthsaV epi taV upoqeseiV thV eparciaV thV BabulwnoV, o Sedrac, o Misac kai o Abde-negw× outoi oi anqrwpoi, basileu, den se esebasqhsan× touV qeouV sou den latreuousi kai thn eikona thn crushn, thn opoian esthsaV, den proskunousi.

Tote o Naboucodonosor meta qumou kai orghV prosetaxe na ferwsi ton Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw. Kai eferan touV anqrwpouV toutouV enwpion tou basilewV.

Kai apokriqeiV o Naboucodonosor eipe proV autouV, Twonti, Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw, touV qeouV mou den latreuete kai thn eikona thn crushn, thn opoian esthsa, den proskuneite;

twra loipon ean hsqe etoimoi, opotan akoushte ton hcon thV salpiggoV, thV suriggoV, thV kiqaraV, thV sambukhV, tou yalthriou kai thV sumfwniaV kai pantoV eidouV mousikhV, na peshte kai na proskunhshte thn eikona thn opoian ekama, kalwV× ean omwV den proskunhshte, qelete rifqh thn authn wran eiV to meson thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV× kai tiV einai ekeinoV o QeoV, ostiV qelei saV hqelen eleuqerwsei ek twn ceirwn mou;

Apekriqhsan o Sedrac, o Misac kai o Abde-negw kai eipon proV ton basilea, Naboucodonosor, hmeiV den ecomen creian na soi apokriqwmen peri tou pragmatoV toutou.

Ean hnai outwV, o QeoV hmwn, ton opoion hmeiV latreuomen, einai dunatoV na maV eleuqerwsh ek thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV× kai ek thV ceiroV sou, basileu, qelei maV eleuqerwsei.

Alla kai an ouci, aV hnai gnwston eiV se, basileu, oti touV qeouV sou den latreuomen kai thn eikona thn crushn, thn opoian esthsaV, den proskunoumen.

Tote o Naboucodonosor eplhsqh qumou kai h oyiV tou proswpou autou hlloiwqh kata tou Sedrac, tou Misac kai tou Abde-negw× kai lalhsaV prosetaxe na ekkauswsi thn kaminon eptaplasiwV mallon par' oson efaineto kaiomenh.

Kai prosetaxe touV dunatwterouV andraV tou strateumatoV autou na deswsi ton Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw, kai na riywsin autouV eiV thn kaminon tou puroV thn kaiomenhn.

Tote oi andreV ekeinoi edeqhsan meta twn salbariwn autwn, twn tiarwn autwn kai twn periknhmidwn autwn kai twn allwn endumatwn autwn kai errifqhsan eiV to meson thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV.

Epeidh de h prostagh tou basilewV hto katepeigousa kai h kaminoV exekauqh eiV uperbolhn, h flox tou puroV eqanatwse touV andraV ekeinouV, oitineV eshkwsan ton Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw.

Outoi de oi treiV andreV, o Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw, epeson demenoi eiV to meson thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV.

O de Naboucodonosor o basileuV exeplagh× kai shkwqeiV meta spoudhV elalhse kai eipe proV touV megistanaV autou, den erriyamen treiV andraV dedemenouV eiV to meson tou puroV; oi de apekriqhsan kai eipon proV ton basilea, AlhqwV, basileu.

Kai apokriqeiV eipen, Idou, egw blepw tessaraV andraV lelumenouV, peripatountaV en mesw tou puroV, kai blabh den einai eiV autouV, kai h oyiV tou tetartou einai omoia me Uion Qeou.

Tote plhsiasaV o Naoucodonosor eiV to stoma thV kaminou tou puroV thV kaiomenhV elalhse kai eipe, Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw, douloi tou Qeou tou Uyistou, exelqete kai elqete. Tote o Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw exhlqon ek mesou tou puroV.

Kai sunacqenteV oi satrapai, oi dioikhtai kai oi toparcai kai oi megistaneV tou basilewV eidon touV andraV toutouV, oti epi twn swmatwn autwn to pur den iscuse kai qrix thV kefalhV autwn den ekah kai ta salbaria autwn den parhllaxan oude osmh puroV eperasen ep' autouV.

Tote elalhsen o Naboucodonosor kai eipen, EuloghtoV o QeoV tou Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw, ostiV apesteile ton aggelon autou kai hleuqerwse touV doulouV autou, oitineV hlpisan ep' auton kai parhkousan ton logon tou basilewV kai paredwkan ta swmata autwn, dia na mh latreuswsi mhde na proskunhswsin allon qeon ektoV tou Qeou autwn.

Dia touto ekdidw prostagma, oti paV laoV, eqnoV kai glwssa, htiV lalhsh kakon enantion tou Qeou tou Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw, qelei katamelisqh, kai ai oikiai autwn qelousi geinei koprwneV× dioti alloV QeoV den einai dunamenoV na eleuqerwsh outw.

Tote o basileuV proebibase ton Sedrac, Misac kai Abde-negw eiV thn eparcian thV BabulwnoV.