The king is furious and tells the three young men that if they will not worship the idol, they will suffer torture in flames. But the young men still refuse. The king then commands that a furnace be heated, and when it is as hot as possible, he has the three young men bound and thrown inside.
But God sends an angel into the furnace who wraps the three youths in his arms, protecting them from the flame.
The king is even further infuriated, and commands that the youths be burned. More and more wood is thrown into the fire, but the three youths are still protected, and the fire harms the Babylonians. The king observes what is happening and understands he is seeing a miracle.
Then one of the youths, Azarias, sings a hymn in praise of God. [portions of this Hymn of Azarias are also treated in Old English in the Exeter Book].
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