King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a great golden image on the plain of Dura and summons officials from across the empire. At the sound of music, everyone is ordered to fall down and worship the image. Anyone who refuses will be thrown into a blazing furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do not bow. Certain officials report them to the king, emphasizing both their Jewish identity and their government positions. Nebuchadnezzar becomes furious but gives them another opportunity to comply.

The three men answer without bargaining. Their God is able to deliver them from the furnace and from the king’s hand. But they add a crucial statement: even if he does not, they still will not serve Nebuchadnezzar’s gods or worship the image.

The king orders the furnace heated far beyond its usual temperature. The three men are bound in their clothing and thrown into the fire. The heat is so intense that the soldiers who carry them to the furnace are killed.

Nebuchadnezzar then reacts with astonishment. He expected three bound men, but he sees four figures walking freely in the fire, and the fourth has an extraordinary appearance. The king approaches the furnace and calls Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come out.

Officials gather around them. Their bodies are unharmed, their hair is not singed, their clothes are not burned, and they do not even smell of fire. Nebuchadnezzar praises their God and issues a decree protecting their worship.

The story’s tension is not merely whether a miracle will occur. Before the furnace, the three men have already made their decision. Their faithfulness is not conditioned on guaranteed rescue, even though the narrative ultimately presents a dramatic deliverance.