3 N’vukhadnetzar the king had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, which he set up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Bavel. ² Then N’vukhadnetzar the king summoned the viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue which N’vukhadnetzar the king had set up. ³ The viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue which N’vukhadnetzar the king had set up. They stood in front of the statue that N’vukhadnetzar had set up; ⁴ and a herald proclaimed, “Peoples! Nations! Languages! You are ordered ⁵ that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, you fall down and worship the gold statue that N’vukhadnetzar the king has set up. ⁶ Whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown immediately into a blazing hot furnace.” ⁷ Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute and the rest of the musical instruments, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the gold statue that N’vukhadnetzar the king had set up.

⁸ But then some Kasdim approached and began denouncing the Jews. ⁹ They said to N’vukhadnetzar the king, “May the king live forever! ¹⁰ Your majesty, you have ordered that everyone who hears sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments is to fall down and worship the gold statue; ¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown into a blazing hot furnace. ¹² There are some Jews whom you have put in charge of the affairs of the province of Bavel, Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go; and these men, your majesty, have paid no attention to you. They do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the gold statue you set up.”

¹³ In a raging fury N’vukhadnetzar ordered that Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go be brought. When the men had been brought before the king, ¹⁴ N’vukhadnetzar said to them, “Shadrakh! Meishakh! ‘Aved-N’go! Is it true that you neither serve my gods nor worship the gold statue I set up? ¹⁵ All right, then. If you are prepared, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, to fall down and worship the gold statue, very well. But if you won’t worship, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing hot furnace — and what god will save you from my power then?” ¹⁶ Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go answered the king, “Your question doesn’t require an answer from us. ¹⁷ Your majesty, if our God, whom we serve, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing hot furnace and from your power. ¹⁸ But even if he doesn’t, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will neither serve your gods nor worship the gold statue which you have set up.”

¹⁹ N’vukhadnetzar became so utterly enraged that his face was distorted with anger against Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go. He ordered the furnace made seven times hotter than usual. ²⁰ Then he ordered some of the strongest men in his army to tie up Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go and throw them into the blazing hot furnace. ²¹ So these men were tied up in their cloaks, tunics, robes and other clothes, and thrown into the blazing hot furnace. ²² The king’s order was so urgent and the furnace so overheated that the men carrying Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go were burned to death by the flames. ²³ These three men, Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go, fell, bound, into the blazing hot furnace.

²⁴ Suddenly N’vukhadnetzar sprang to his feet. Alarmed, he asked his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the flames?” They answered the king, “Yes, of course, your majesty.” ²⁵ But he exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied up, walking around there in the flames, unhurt; and the fourth looks like one of the gods!” ²⁶ N’vukhadnetzar approached the opening of the blazing hot furnace and said, “Shadrakh! Meishakh! ‘Aved-N’go! You servants of El ‘Elyon! Come out, and come here!” Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go emerged from the flames. ²⁷ The viceroys, prefects, governors and royal advisers who were there saw that the fire had had no power on the bodies of these men — not even their hair was singed, their clothes looked the same, and they didn’t smell of fire.

²⁸ N’vukhadnetzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go! He sent his angel to deliver his servants who trusted in him. They defied the royal order to the point of being willing to give up their bodies, in order not to serve or worship any god but their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I herewith decree that anyone, no matter from which people, nation or language, who says anything to insult the God of Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go is to be torn limb from limb, and his house is to be reduced to rubble; because there is no other god who can save like this.”

³⁰ Then the king gave Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go higher rank in the province of Bavel.

^31 (4:1) [The following letter was sent out:]

“From: N’vukhadnetzar the king

“To: All the peoples, nations and languages living throughout the earth:

“Shalom rav! [Abundant peace!]

^32 (4:2) “I am pleased to recount the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.

4 ⁽⁴⁾ “I, N’vukhadnetzar, was contentedly living at home, enjoying the luxury of my palace; ^2 (5) but as I lay on my bed, I had a dream which frightened me, followed by fantasies and visions in my head which frightened me even more. ^3 (6) So I ordered all the sages of Bavel to present themselves to me, so that they could tell me the interpretation of the dream. ^4 (7) When the magicians, exorcists, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream; but they couldn’t interpret it for me. ^5 (8) Finally, however, Dani’el (renamed Belt’shatzar, after the name of my god), in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, came before me; and I told him the dream: ^6 (9) ‘Belt’shatzar, chief of the magicians! Because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the meaning of the visions I saw in my dream. ^7 (10) Here are the visions I had in my head as I lay on my bed: I looked, and there before me was a tree at the center of the earth; it was very tall. ^8 (11) The tree grew and became strong until its crown reached the sky, and it could be seen from anywhere on earth. ^9 (12) Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant; it produced enough food for everyone. The wild animals enjoyed its shade, the birds in the air lived in its branches, and it gave food to every living creature. ^10 (13) I looked in the visions of my head as I lay on my bed, and there appeared a holy watcher coming down from heaven. ^11 (14) He cried out:

^15 (18) “‘This is the dream which I, King N’vukhadnetzar, saw. Now you, Belt’shatzar, tell me its interpretation. None of the sages of my kingdom can tell me the interpretation, but you can do it, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’

^16 (19) “Dani’el, whose name was Belt’shatzar, was in shock awhile, frightened by his thoughts. The king said, ‘Belt’shatzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation frighten you.’ Belt’shatzar answered, ‘My lord, if only the dream were about those who hate you, and the interpretation about your enemies! ^17 (20) The tree you saw which grew and became strong until its crown reached the sky, and it could be seen throughout the whole earth, ^18 (21) that had beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, enough to feed everyone, under which the wild animals lived, and on whose branches the birds in the air built their nests — ^19 (22) it’s you, your majesty! You have grown and become strong — your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your rule extends to the end of the earth.

^20 (23) “‘Now the king saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven, who said,

^21 (24) “‘This is the interpretation, your majesty; and it is the decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king:

^23 (26) “‘But since it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be kept for you until you have learned that Heaven rules everything. ^24 (27) Therefore, your majesty, please take my advice: break with your sins by replacing them with acts of charity, and break with your crimes by showing mercy to the poor; this may extend the time of your prosperity.’

^25 (28) “All this happened to King N’vukhadnetzar. ^26 (29) Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Bavel, ^27 (30) the king said, ‘Bavel the great! I built it as a royal residence by my power and force to enhance the glory of my majesty!’ ^28 (31) No sooner had the king spoken these words when a voice came down from heaven: ‘King N’vukhadnetzar! These words are for you:

^30 (33) “Within the hour the word was fulfilled. N’vukhadnetzar was driven from human society, he ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

^31 (34) “When this period was over, I, N’vukhadnetzar, lifted my eyes toward heaven, and my understanding came back to me. I blessed the Most High, I praised and gave honor to him who lives forever.

^33 (36) “It was at that moment that my understanding came back to me; and for the sake of the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor also came back to me. My advisers and lords sought me out, I was re-established in my kingdom, and to my previous greatness even more was added. ^34 (37) So now I, N’vukhadnetzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven:

17 Then came one of the angels with the seven bowls; and he said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is sitting by many waters. ² The kings of the earth went whoring with her, and the people living on earth have become drunk from the wine of her whoring.” ³ He carried me off in the Spirit to a desert, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast filled with blasphemous names and having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold, precious stones and pearls. In her hand was a gold cup filled with the obscene and filthy things produced by her whoring. ⁵ On her forehead was written a name with a hidden meaning,

BAVEL THE GREAT

MOTHER OF WHORES AND OF

THE EARTH’S OBSCENITIES

⁶ I saw the woman drunk from the blood of God’s people, that is, from the blood of the people who testify about Yeshua.

On seeing her, I was altogether astounded. ⁷ Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will tell you the hidden meaning of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that was carrying her. ⁸ The beast you saw once was, now is not, and will come up from the Abyss; but it is on its way to destruction. The people living on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Life since the founding of the world will be astounded to see the beast that once was, now is not, but is to appear. ⁹ This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is sitting; also they are seven kings — ¹⁰ five have fallen, one is living now and the other is yet to come; and when he does come, he must remain only a little while. ¹¹ The beast which once was and now is not is an eighth king; it comes from the seven and is on its way to destruction. ¹² The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but they receive power as kings for one hour, along with the beast. ¹³ They have one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are called, chosen and faithful will overcome along with him.”

¹⁵ Then he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the whore is sitting, are peoples, crowds, nations and languages. ¹⁶ As for the ten horns that you saw and the beast, they will hate the whore, bring her to ruin, leave her naked, eat her flesh and consume her with fire. ¹⁷ For God put it in their hearts to do what will fulfill his purpose, that is, to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words have accomplished their intent. ¹⁸ And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”