Nebuchadnezzar

so in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel marched against Yerushalayim with his entire army. He set up camp against it and built siege towers against it on every side.

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was also the nineteenth year of King N'vukhadretzar, king of Bavel, N'vuzar'adan, the commander of the guard and a close associate of the king of Bavel, entered Yerushalayim.

The numbers of people deported by N'vukhadretzar were as follows: in the seventh year, 3,023 persons from Y'hudah;

in the eighteenth year of N'vukhadretzar, 832 persons from Yerushalayim;

and in the twenty-third year of N'vukhadretzar, N'vuzar'adan the commander of the guard deported 745 persons from Y'hudah; the total comes to 4,600 persons.

"For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will bring upon Tzor, from the north, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great and powerful army.

"Human being, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel had his army mount a massive expedition against Tzor; [the loads of dirt they carried] made every head bald and every shoulder raw; yet neither he nor his army derived any benefit from Tzor out of this expedition against it.

Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I will give the land of Egypt to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel. He will carry off its riches, take its spoil and its prey; and these will be the wages for his army.

"Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will destroy the hordes of Egypt through N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel.

In the third year of the reign of Y'hoyakim king of Y'hudah, N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel came to Yerushalayim and laid siege to it;

When the time the king had set for them to be presented came, the chief officer presented them to N'vukhadnetzar;

In the second year of the reign of N'vukhadnetzar, N'vukhadnetzar became so troubled by a series of dreams he had that he couldn't sleep.

But there is a God in heaven who unlocks mysteries, and he has revealed to King N'vukhadnetzar what will happen in the acharit-hayamim. Here are your dream and the visions you had in your head when you were in bed.

Then King N'vukhadnetzar fell on his face and worshipped Dani'el; he ordered that a grain offering and incense be offered to him.

N'vukhadnetzar the king had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, which he set up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Bavel.

Then N'vukhadnetzar the king summoned the viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue which N'vukhadnetzar the king had set up.

The viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue which N'vukhadnetzar the king had set up. They stood in front of the statue that N'vukhadnetzar had set up;

that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, you fall down and worship the gold statue that N'vukhadnetzar the king has set up.

Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute and the rest of the musical instruments, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the gold statue that N'vukhadnetzar the king had set up.

They said to N'vukhadnetzar the king, "May the king live forever!

In a raging fury N'vukhadnetzar ordered that Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go be brought. When the men had been brought before the king,

N'vukhadnetzar said to them, "Shadrakh! Meishakh! 'Aved-N'go! Is it true that you neither serve my gods nor worship the gold statue I set up?

Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go answered the king, "Your question doesn't require an answer from us.

N'vukhadnetzar became so utterly enraged that his face was distorted with anger against Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go. He ordered the furnace made seven times hotter than usual.

Suddenly N'vukhadnetzar sprang to his feet. Alarmed, he asked his advisers, "Didn't we throw three men, bound, into the flames?"They answered the king, "Yes, of course, your majesty."