Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue 1 UST King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his craftsmen to make a giant statue and cover it completely with gold. It was 27 meters high and 2. 7 meters wide. They set it up on 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 UST Then the king sent messengers to the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and the other officials in the province. He ordered them to come to the dedication of the statue that he had set up. 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 UST So the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and the other officials in the province came for the dedication of the statue that the king had set up. They all stood 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 UST Then a royal herald shouted loudly,“You people who come from many different nations and groups and who speak many different 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 UST When you hear the music of horns, flutes, lyres, zithers, harps, bagpipes, and other instruments, you must bow down to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’ s golden statue. 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 UST The king’ s soldiers will immediately throw anyone who does not do that into a furnace that is blazing with fire!” BSB BSB: And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
7 UST So when the officials who had gathered there heard the music of horns, flutes, lyres, zithers, harps, and other instruments, they bowed down to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’ s golden 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 UST But because of something they saw, some of the king’ s advisors then went to him and said bad things about the Jews{ who were provincial officials}. BSB BSB: At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews,
9 UST They told King Nebuchadnezzar,“Your Majesty, we hope that you will live for a very long time! BSB BSB: saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
10 UST You commanded all of us officials to bow down and worship your golden statue when we heard the music of horns, flutes, lyres, zithers, harps, bagpipes, and other instruments. 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 UST You said that if anyone did not do that, you would command your solders to throw him into a furnace that was blazing with fire. BSB BSB: and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.
12 UST But there are some men who are not obeying your decree, Your Majesty. They are men from Judah whom you have appointed to be officials in the province of Babylon. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refuse to worship your gods. They did not bow down to your golden statue.” 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 UST When he heard that, Nebuchadnezzar became extremely angry. He commanded his soldiers to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to him. When those three men arrived, BSB BSB: Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
14 UST Nebuchadnezzar said to them,“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to worship my gods? Did you not bow down to my golden statue? 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 UST { I will not punish you} if you are willing to bow down and worship my statue when you hear the music of horns, flutes, lyres, zithers, harps, bagpipes, and other instruments. But if you do not bow down, I will immediately command my soldiers to throw you into a furnace that is blazing with fire. Then what god would be able to 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 UST Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied,“Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to{ make a decision about what to do and then} tell you whether we are willing to bow down to your statue. BSB BSB: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 UST If that happened, our God, whom we worship, would be able to rescue us from the furnace. He could rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 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 UST But we want you to know, Your Majesty, that even if he did not rescue us, we would never worship your gods. We would not bow down to your golden statue.” 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 UST When Nebuchadnezzar heard that, he became extremely angry. He had been regarding Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with a generous expression, but now he looked at them with a very hostile expression. He ordered his soldiers to heat the furnace as hot as possible, hotter than it had ever been before. 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 UST Then he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into that extremely hot furnace. 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 UST So those soldiers tied up the three men and threw them into the furnace. The men were still wearing their robes, tunics, turbans, and 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 UST The king had given a very stern command, so his servants had made the furnace extremely hot. As a result, the heat of the furnace killed the strong soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into it. 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 UST And those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the roaring flames with ropes around them. BSB BSB: And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, firmly bound, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.
24 UST But then King Nebuchadnezzar saw something that amazed him. He quickly jumped up and asked his advisors,“Did we not tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” The advisors replied,“Yes, Your Majesty, 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 UST Nebuchadnezzar responded,“But look! I see four men! They have no ropes around them, and they are walking around in the flames. The fire is not hurting them! And the fourth man looks like a divine being!” 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 UST Then Nebuchadnezzar came closer to the opening of the furnace. He shouted,“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you men who worship the Supreme God, come out of there! Come over here!” So they stepped out of the furnace. 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 UST Then the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal counselors crowded around them. They saw that the flames had not harmed them. The flames had not even singed any of the hair on their heads or scorched any of their clothes! 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 UST Then Nebuchadnezzar said,“People should praise the God whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worship! He sent one of his angels to rescue these three men who worship him and who trusted him{ to protect them}. They were willing to die rather than worship any other god other than their own God. As a result, they made my punishment have no effect. 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 UST Therefore, I am now making this decree:‘No person, no matter what nation or group he comes from or what language he speaks, may criticize the God whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worship. If anyone does, I will order my soldiers to cut him into pieces. I will also order them to destroy his house completely. That is 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 UST Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego more important positions in 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.