12. “There are certain Yehuḏim whom you have set over the work of the province of Baḇel: Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o. These men, O sovereign, pay no heed to you. They do not serve your elahin, and they are not doing obeisance to the gold image which you have set up.”
13. Then Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, in rage and wrath, gave orders to bring Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o. Then they brought these men before the sovereign.
14. Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar spoke and said to them, “Is it true, Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, that you do not serve my elahin, and you do not do obeisance to the gold image which I have set up?
15. “Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, and you fall down and do obeisance to the image which I have made, good! But if you do not do obeisance, you are immediately thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire. And who is the elah who does deliver you from my hands?”
16. Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o answered and said to the sovereign, “O Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17. “For if so, our Elah whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace of fire and from your hand, O sovereign – He does deliver!