Di Fire wey Dey Burn

Horns dey blow. Harps and flutes join. For one very wide plain, thousands of people fall down for ground like wheat farm wey wind dey blow. All of dem, except three. Three young men, dey stand straight, while everybody around dem dey bow.

King Nebuchadnezzar don build one very big statue of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. Na around ninety feet tall be dat. E set am up for di plain of Dura, for di province of Babylon, and e call every official for im empire to come for di dedication: governors, judges, treasurers, advisers. Dem gather for di front of di image wey dey shine. Then one announcer shout. People of every nation and every language! When una hear di sound of di horn, di flute, di lyre, di harp and every kind of music, make una fall down and worship di gold image. Anybody wey no do am, dem go throw am immediately inside fire wey dey burn well well.

Di music play, and di whole crowd bow. But some of di king advisers don notice something. Dem come meet di king. O king, live forever. Some Jews dey wey you put in charge of di province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Dem no dey regard you. Dem no dey serve your gods, and dem no dey worship di gold image. Vex full Nebuchadnezzar body. E make dem bring di three before am. Na true? Now, if una ready, when una hear di music, fall down and worship. But if una no do am, dem go throw una inside di fire. And which god go fit rescue una from my hand?

Dem answer am calm. O Nebuchadnezzar, we no need to defend ourselves before you for dis matter. If na so e be, our God wey we dey serve fit deliver us from di fire wey dey burn well well, and e go deliver us from your hand, O king. But even if e no do am, make you know, O king, say we no go serve your gods, and we no go worship di gold image wey you set up. Listen to am again. Even if e no do am. Dem faithfulness no depend on whether God rescue dem. Dem trust God reach say dem go obey am, whether e rescue dem or not.

Nebuchadnezzar face change with vex. E order make dem heat di fire seven times pass how e dey hot before. Strong soldiers tie di three men, with dem cloth and dem turban still for body, and dem throw dem inside. Di heat strong reach say di soldiers wey carry dem go di mouth of di fire, di flame kill dem. And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fall, dem hand and leg still tie, for di middle of di fire. Di king dey watch. And then e jump up. No be three men we tie throw inside di fire? True, O king. But look! I see four men, dem no tie again, dem dey waka for di middle of di fire, and nothing do dem. And di fourth one be like son of di gods.

Di king go near di door of di fire. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of di Most High God, come out! And dem waka comot from di fire. Di officials gather round dem. Di fire no get any power over dem body. Not even one hair for dem head burn. Dem cloth no spoil. Even smoke no smell for dem body. Nebuchadnezzar talk, Blessed be di God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, wey send im angel and deliver im servants wey trust am. Who be di fourth person inside di fire? Di king call am angel. Plenty Christians don see for am small picture of di Son of God imself. Di story just talk say God dey with dem inside di flames.

Listen to di band wey play for di dedication of di statue. Di book of Daniel name dem instruments four times, and some of dose names no be Aramaic at all. Di words for di lyre, di harp and di instrument wey dem dey often translate as bagpipe or symphony, dem borrow dem from Greek. Scholars dey argue wetin dis one dey show about when di book take im final shape, but di list paint picture of one big royal band, wey dem gather from many lands.

Di fire wey dey burn. You go find am for Daniel chapter three. Three young men refuse to bow, and dem no know whether God go rescue dem. And dem find say God dey with dem inside di fire. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Your trust for God strong reach to talk say, even if e no do am, I go still dey faithful?