Bible Verses About Abed-Nego

Among these, from the people of Y'hudah, were Dani'el, Hananyah, Misha'el and 'Azaryah.

The chief officer gave them other names - to Dani'el he gave the name Belt'shatzar; to Hananyah, Shadrakh; to Misha'el, Meishakh; and to 'Azaryah, 'Aved-N'go.

But Dani'el resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or the wine he drank, so he asked the chief officer to be excused from defiling himself.

God caused the chief officer to be kind and sympathetic toward Dani'el;

however, the chief officer said to Dani'el, "I'm afraid of my lord the king. After all, he has given you an allowance of food and drink; so if he were to see you boys looking worse than the others your age, you would be putting my own head in danger from the king."

Then Dani'el said to the guard whom the chief officer had put in charge of Dani'el, Hananyah, Misha'el and 'Azaryah,

"Please! Try an experiment on your servants - for ten days have them give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Then see how we look, and compare us with how the boys who eat the king's food look; and deal with your servants according to what you see."

He agreed to do what they had asked and gave them a ten-day test.

At the end of ten days they looked better and more robust than all the boys who were eating the king's food.

So the guard took away their food and the wine they were supposed to drink, and gave them vegetables.

To these four boys God had given knowledge and skill in every aspect of learning and wisdom; moreover, Dani'el could understand all kinds of visions and dreams.

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

and when the king spoke with them, none was found among all of them to compare with Dani'el, Hananyah, Misha'el and 'Azaryah. So they entered the king's service;

and in all matters requiring wisdom and understanding, whenever the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and exorcists in his entire kingdom.

Dani'el went home and made the matter known to Hananyah, Misha'el and 'Azaryah, his companions;

At Dani'el's request, the king put Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go in charge of the affairs of the province of Bavel, while Dani'el remained in attendance on the king.

There are some Jews whom you have put in charge of the affairs of the province of Bavel, Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go; and these men, your majesty, have paid no attention to you. They do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the gold statue you set up."

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?

All right, then. If you are prepared, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, to fall down and worship the gold statue, very well. But if you won't worship, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing hot furnace - and what god will save you from my power then?"

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

Your majesty, if our God, whom we serve, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing hot furnace and from your power.

But even if he doesn't, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will neither serve your gods nor worship the gold statue which you have set up."

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.