Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Nebuchadnezzar Commands Everyone
to Worship a Gold Statue
1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a
gold statue made, ninety feet
high and nine feet wide, and he had
it set up in the plain of Dura in the
province of Babylon.
2 Then the king
gave orders for all his officials to
come together—the princes, governors,
lieutenant governors, commissioners,
treasurers, judges, magistrates,
and all the other officials of
the provinces. They were to attend
the dedication of the statue which
King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3 When all these officials gathered
for the dedication and stood in front
of the statue,
4 a herald announced in
a loud voice, “People of all nations,
races, and languages!
5 You will hear
the sound of the trumpets, followed
by the playing of oboes, lyres, zithers,
and harps; and then all the other
instruments will join in. As soon as
the music starts, you are to bow
down and worship the gold statue
that King Nebuchadnezzar has set
up.
6 Anyone who does not bow
down and worship will immediately
be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 And so, as soon as they heard the
sound of the instruments, the people
of all the nations, races, and languages
bowed down and worshiped
the gold statue which King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up.
Daniel's Three Friends Are Accused
of Disobedience
8 It was then that some Babylonians
took the opportunity to denounce
the Jews.
9 They said to King
Nebuchadnezzar, “May Your Majesty
live forever!
10 Your Majesty has
issued an order that as soon as the
music starts, everyone is to bow
down and worship the gold statue,
11 and that anyone who does not bow
down and worship it is to be thrown
into a blazing furnace.
12 There are
some Jews whom you put in charge
of the province of Babylon—Shadrach,
-- --
Meshach, and Abednego—
who are disobeying Your Majesty's
orders. They do not worship your
god or bow down to the statue you
set up.”
13 At that, the king flew into a rage
and ordered the three men to be
brought before him.
14 He said to
them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, is it true that you refuse
to worship my god and to bow down
to the gold statue I have set up?
15 Now then, as soon as you hear the
sound of the trumpets, oboes, lyres,
zithers, harps, and all the other instruments,
bow down and worship
the statue. If you do not, you will immediately
be thrown into a blazing
furnace. Do you think there is any
god who can save you?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
answered, “Your Majesty, we
will not try to defend ourselves.
17 If
the God whom we serve is able to
save us from the blazing furnace and
from your power, then he will. note
18 But
even if he doesn't, Your Majesty
may be sure that we will not worship
your god, and we will not bow
down to the gold statue that you
have set up.”
Daniel's Three Friends Are Sentenced
to Death
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar lost his
temper, and his face turned red with
anger at Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. So he ordered his men to
heat the furnace seven times hotter
than usual.
20 And he commanded
the strongest men in his army to tie
the three men up and throw them
into the blazing furnace.
21 So they
tied them up, fully dressed—shirts,
robes, caps, and all—and threw
them into the blazing furnace.
22 Now because the king had given
-- --
strict orders for the furnace to be
made extremely hot, the flames
burned up the guards who took the
men to the furnace.
23 Then Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, still
tied up, fell into the heart of the
blazing fire. note
24 Suddenly Nebuchadnezzar
leaped to his feet in amazement. He
asked his officials, “Didn't we tie up
three men and throw them into the
blazing furnace?”
24 They answered, “Yes, we did,
Your Majesty.”
25 “Then why do I see four men
walking around in the fire?” he
asked. “They are not tied up, and
they show no sign of being hurt—
and the fourth one looks like an angel.” note
The Three Men Are Released
and Promoted
26 So Nebuchadnezzar went up to
the door of the blazing furnace and
called out, “Shadrach! Meshach!
Abednego! Servants of the Supreme
God! Come out!” And they came out
at once.
27 All the princes, governors,
lieutenant governors, and other officials
of the king gathered to look at
the three men, who had not been
harmed by the fire. Their hair was
not singed, their clothes were not
burned, and there was no smell of
smoke on them.
28 The king said, “Praise the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!
He sent his angel and rescued these
men who serve and trust him. They
disobeyed my orders and risked
their lives rather than bow down and
worship any god except their own.
29 “And now I command that if
anyone of any nation, race, or language
speaks disrespectfully of the
God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, he is to be torn limb from
limb, and his house is to be made a
pile of ruins. There is no other god
who can rescue like this.”
30 And the king promoted Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego to
higher positions in the province of
Babylon.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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