3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed 2 toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders 3 to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 3:20 He ordered strong 4 soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, 5 and were thrown into the furnace 6 of blazing fire.
1 tn Aram “in that hour.”
2 tn Aram “the appearance of his face was altered”; cf. NLT “his face became distorted with rage”; NAB “[his] face became livid with utter rage.”
3 tn Aram “he answered and said.”
4 tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”
5 sn There is a great deal of uncertainty with regard to the specific nature of these items of clothing.
6 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.