Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue 1 UDB King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue. It was twenty-seven meters tall and three meters wide. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. BSB BSB: King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
2 UDB Then he sent messages to all the provincial governors, the regional governors, and the local governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the high officials of the provinces. He told them to come to celebrate the new statue that he had set up to honor the god that it represented. BSB BSB: Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.
3 UDB When they all arrived, they were all standing in front of that statue. BSB BSB: So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 UDB A person on the royal staff shouted out the king's new law to everyone, "You people who come from many countries and who speak many languages, listen to what the king has commanded! BSB BSB: Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:
5 UDB When you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, and other flutes, and all the music they will play, you must lie down on the ground and honor the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has put up. BSB BSB: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 UDB Anyone who refuses to do that will be thrown into a blazing fire." BSB BSB: And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
7 UDB So all those people who had gathered from the many people and nations, who were speaking various languages, when they heard the instruments play, laid themselves down on the ground and gave their worship and said words of praise to the statue. BSB BSB: Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Accused 8 UDB But some Chaldeans went to the king. BSB BSB: At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews,
9 UDB They reported to him, "O king, may you never die! BSB BSB: saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
10 UDB You decreed that every person who hears the sound of those instruments should lie down on the ground and honor the golden statue. BSB BSB: You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue,
11 UDB You also decreed that anyone refusing to do that would be thrown into a blazing fire. BSB BSB: and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.
12 UDB There are some men from Judah that you appointed to be officials in the province of Babylon who have paid no attention to your decree. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They have refused to worship your gods and the golden statue that you have set up." BSB BSB: But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”
13 UDB When he heard this, Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He commanded his soldiers to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought them to the king. BSB BSB: Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
14 UDB Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Have you decided that you will not worship my gods or the golden statue that I have set up? BSB BSB: and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up?
15 UDB I will give you one more chance. If you bow down to worship the statue that I have set up when you hear the sounds of the musical instruments, fine. But if you refuse, you will be thrown into a blazing fire. Then who is the god who can rescue you from my power?" BSB BSB: Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”
16 UDB Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend our actions to you in this matter. BSB BSB: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 UDB If we are thrown into a fire, the God we worship is able to rescue us. He has the power to rescue us from you. BSB BSB: If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king.
18 UDB But even if he does not rescue us, we will not worship your gods, and we will never honor the statue you have set up." BSB BSB: But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”
The Fiery Furnace 19 UDB Then Nebuchadnezzar became extremely angry. His face showed great rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders that the fire should be made seven times hotter than usual. BSB BSB: At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual,
20 UDB After that was done, he ordered some of his strongest soldiers to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and then to throw them into the blazing fire. BSB BSB: and he commanded some mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace.
21 UDB When the soldiers tied them up and threw them into the furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were wearing their robes, their tunics, their turbans, and their other clothes. BSB BSB: So they were tied up, wearing robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and they were thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.
22 UDB Because the king's orders were given when he was so angry and were to be followed without any delay, and because the fire was so hot, the flames leaped out of the blaze and killed the soldiers that took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego up into the fire. BSB BSB: The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the fiery flames killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 UDB So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, tied up, fell into the burning flames of the fire. BSB BSB: And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, firmly bound, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.
24 UDB But as Nebuchadnezzar was watching, he was shocked. He jumped up and shouted to his advisors, "Did we tie up three men and throw them into the flames?" They replied, "Yes, O king, we did." BSB BSB: Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and asked his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, firmly bound, into the fire?” “Certainly, O king,” they replied.
25 UDB Nebuchadnezzar shouted, "Look! I see four men in the fire! They are not tied with ropes and they are walking around and the flames are not hurting them! The fourth man is shining like a son of the gods!" BSB BSB: “Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”
26 UDB Nebuchadnezzar came closer to the edge of the blazing fire and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you who worship the Most High God, come out of there! Come here!" So they came out and away from the fire. BSB BSB: Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire,
27 UDB Then all the king's officials saw them when they came out of the fire. The flames had not harmed them. Not even the hair on their heads was singed, and none of their clothing was scorched. There was not even any smell of smoke on them. BSB BSB: and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 UDB Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "We must all praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent one of his messengers to rescue these three men who worship him and trust in him. They ignored the king's command and refused to worship any other god but their own God, even if it cost them their lives. BSB BSB: Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
29 UDB Therefore I am now making this decree: 'If any people from any nation, or those who speak any language, say anything against the God who is worshiped by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn to pieces and their houses will be torn down and made into piles of garbage. This decree is made because there is no other god who can rescue people like this!'" BSB BSB: Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”
30 UDB Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego positions of greater importance within the province of Babylon. BSB BSB: Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.