Three Brave Friends in the Fire

King Nebuchadnezzar built a GIANT golden statue. It was as tall as a building! He told everyone, 'When you hear the music, you have to bow down to my statue. If you don't, you'll be thrown into a hot, fiery furnace!'

The music played. Everyone bowed down... except for three friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They only bowed to the real God!

Some mean people ran to tell the king. 'Those three men didn't bow down!'

The king was VERY angry. He brought the three friends to him. 'Bow down now, or into the fire you go!'

But the three friends said something very brave: 'Our God CAN save us from the fire. But even if He doesn't, we still won't bow down to your statue. We only worship the real God!'

Now the king was SUPER angry! 'Make the fire SEVEN times hotter!' he yelled.

Soldiers tied up the three friends and threw them into the fire. It was SO hot that the soldiers got hurt!

But then the king's eyes got really big. 'Wait!' he said. 'Didn't we throw THREE men in there?'

'Yes, three.'

'But I see FOUR men walking around in the fire! They're not tied up. They're not hurt. And the fourth one looks like an angel!'

The king called out, 'Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego! Come out!'

The three friends walked right out of the fire. Everyone gathered around to look. Their clothes weren't burned. Their hair wasn't burned. They didn't even SMELL like smoke!

The king was amazed! 'Your God is the most powerful God!' he said. 'He sent an angel to save you!'

God protected the three brave friends because they trusted Him. And the whole kingdom learned about the one true God!