Daniel 3
New Living Translation
Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3 So all these officials[b] came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments,[c] bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 So at the sound of the musical instruments,[d] all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 But some of the astrologers[e] went to the king and informed on the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! 10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments.[f] But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
The Blazing Furnace
19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.
24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.
25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god[g]!”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes
- 3:1 Aramaic 60 cubits [27 meters] tall and 6 cubits [2.7 meters] wide.
- 3:3 Aramaic the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials.
- 3:5 The identification of some of these musical instruments is uncertain.
- 3:7 Aramaic the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and other musical instruments.
- 3:8 Aramaic Chaldeans.
- 3:15 Aramaic the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments.
- 3:25 Aramaic like a son of the gods.
Daniel 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Nevuchadnetzar the king made a tzelem of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nevuchadnetzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the tzelem which Nevuchadnetzar the king had set up.
3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar the king had set up; and they stood before the tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar had set up.
4 Then a karoz (herald) cried aloud, To you it is ommanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, pipes, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar the king hath set up;
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery attun (furnace).
7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar the king had set up.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Kasdim (Chaldeans) came near, and accused the Yehudim.
9 They spoke and said to the king Nevuchadnetzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and pipes, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden tzelem;
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery attun (furnace).
12 There are certain Yehudim whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have disregarded thee; they serve (pay-lammed-chet, serve as deity) not thy g-ds, nor worship the golden tzelem which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nevuchadnetzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nevuchadnetzar spoke and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do ye not serve my g-ds, nor worship the golden tzelem which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and pipes, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the tzelem which I have made, well; but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery attun; and who is that G-d that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nevuchadnetzar, we are not needful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, Eloheinu whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not be the ones serving as deity (pey-lammed-chet) thy g-ds, nor worship the golden tzelem which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nevuchadnetzar full of fury, and the expression on his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the attun seven times hotter than usual.
20 And he commanded certain gibborim (mighty men) of valor that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery attun.
21 Then these anashim (men) were bound in their mantles, their tunics, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was severe, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flames of the eish (fire) violently killed those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nevuchadnetzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast shloshah anashim (three men) bound into the midst of the eish (fire)? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see anashim arba’ah (four men) free (not bound, loose), walking in the midst of the eish (fire), and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Bar Elohin (Ben Elohim, Hebrew).
26 Then Nevuchadnetzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of El Elyon (G-d Most High), come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the eish (fire).
27 And the satraps, governors, and administrators, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the eish (fire) had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their garments affected, nor the smell of eish (fire) had passed on them.
28 Then Nevuchadnetzar spoke, and said, Baruch Elohim shel Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who hath sent His malach, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve ([as deity], peylammed-chet) nor worship any g-d, except their own G-d.
29 Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the G-d of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a pile of rubble, because there is no other g-d that can deliver like this.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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