但以理书 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
金像和火窑
3 尼布甲尼撒王造了一尊高二十七米、宽二点七米的金像，立在巴比伦省的杜拉平原。 2 他派人召集总督、行政官、省长、谋士、库房官、审判官、司法官及各省的所有官员，前来参加他所立之像的奉献礼。 3 于是总督、行政官、省长、谋士、库房官、审判官、司法官及各省的官员齐来参加尼布甲尼撒王所立之像的奉献礼，站在那像面前。
4 传令官大声宣布说：“各族、各邦、各语种的人啊，王有令， 5 ‘你们一听见角、笛、弦琴、竖琴、瑟、笙等各种乐器奏响，就要叩拜尼布甲尼撒王所立的金像。 6 不叩拜的人必立刻被抛进烈焰熊熊的火窑。’” 7 于是，各族、各邦、各语种的人一听见角、笛、弦琴、竖琴、瑟等各种乐器的声音，就都叩拜尼布甲尼撒王所立的金像。
8 那时，有几个占星家前来控告犹大人。 9 他们对尼布甲尼撒王说：“愿王万岁！ 10 王啊，你曾下令，角、笛、弦琴、竖琴、瑟、笙等各种乐器一奏响，每个人都要叩拜金像。 11 不叩拜的人必被扔进烈焰熊熊的火窑。 12 然而，王啊，有几个犹大人，就是王委派负责巴比伦省事务的沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌，却不理会你的命令，不事奉你的神明，也不祭拜你立的金像。” 13 尼布甲尼撒王勃然大怒，下令将沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌带来。于是他们被带到王面前。 14 尼布甲尼撒问他们：“沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌啊，你们真的不事奉我的神明，不祭拜我立的金像吗？ 15 现在你们准备好，一听见角、笛、弦琴、竖琴、瑟、笙等各种乐器的声音，就要叩拜我造的像。不然，必立刻将你们扔进烈焰熊熊的火窑。那时什么神明能从我手中救你们呢？”
16 沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌答道：“尼布甲尼撒啊，我们无需为此事回答你。 17 王啊，我们若真被扔进烈焰熊熊的火窑，我们所事奉的上帝必能救我们脱离火窑，祂必从你手中救我们。 18 即或不然，王啊，你要明白，我们也不会事奉你的神明或祭拜你立的金像。”
19 尼布甲尼撒怒气填胸，向沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌大发雷霆，下令将火窑烧得比平时热七倍， 20 又命令军中的勇士将沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌绑起来，扔进烈焰熊熊的火窑。 21 这三人穿着外袍、裤子等衣物，戴着头巾，被绑着扔进烈焰熊熊的火窑。 22 因为王的命令紧急，窑烧得非常热，火焰烧死了那些抬沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌的人。 23 沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌三人被绑着落入烈焰熊熊的火窑。
24 这时，尼布甲尼撒王惊奇地跳起来，问谋士：“我们绑起来扔进火里的不是三个人吗？”他们答道：“王啊，是的。” 25 王说：“看啊，我见有四个人在火中走来走去，没有被绑着，也没有被烧伤，第四个人的面貌好像神明的儿子。”
26 于是，尼布甲尼撒走近火窑的门，喊道：“至高上帝的仆人沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌啊，出来吧，到这里来吧。”沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌便从火中出来。 27 那些总督、行政官、省长和王的谋士上前围观，见火焰没有烧伤他们的身体，他们的头发没有烧焦，衣服没有烧坏，身上甚至没有火燎的气味。 28 尼布甲尼撒说：“沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌的上帝当受称颂！祂差遣天使拯救那些信靠祂的仆人。他们无视王命，宁肯死也不供奉、祭拜其他神明。 29 现在我下令，不论何民、何邦、何族，若毁谤沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌的上帝，必被碎尸万段，他们的家必沦为废墟，因为没有别的神明能这样施行拯救。” 30 于是，王让沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌在巴比伦省身居高位。
Daniel 3
Living Bible
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet high and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon; 2 then he sent messages to all the princes, governors, captains, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and rulers of all the provinces of his empire, to come to the dedication of his statue. 3 When they had all arrived and were standing before the monument, 4 a herald shouted out, “O people of all nations and languages, this is the king’s command:
5 “When the band[a] strikes up, you are to fall flat on the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue; 6 anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a flaming furnace.”
7 So when the band began to play, everyone—whatever his nation, language, or religion[b]—fell to the ground and worshiped the statue.
8 But some officials went to the king and accused some of the Jews of refusing to worship!
9 “Your Majesty,” they said to him, 10 “you made a law that everyone must fall down and worship the gold statue when the band begins to play, 11 and that anyone who refuses will be thrown into a flaming furnace. 12 But there are some Jews out there—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whom you have put in charge of Babylonian affairs—who have defied you, refusing to serve your gods or to worship the gold statue you set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in a terrible rage, ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in before him.
14 “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,” he demanded, “that you are refusing to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I set up? 15 I’ll give you one more chance. When the music plays, if you fall down and worship the statue, all will be well. But if you refuse, you will be thrown into a flaming furnace within the hour. And what god can deliver you out of my hands then?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not worried about what will happen to us. 17 If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. 18 But if he doesn’t, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstance serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and his face became dark with anger at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He commanded that the furnace be heated up seven times hotter than usual, 20 and called for some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and throw them into the fire. 21 So they bound them tight with ropes and threw them into the furnace, fully clothed. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames leaped out and killed the soldiers as they threw them in! 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell down bound into the roaring flames.
24 But suddenly, as he was watching, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors, “Didn’t we throw three men into the furnace?”
“Yes,” they said, “we did indeed, Your Majesty.”
25 “Well, look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire, and they aren’t even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a god!”[c]
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the open door of the flaming furnace and yelled: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God! Come out! Come here!” So they stepped out of the fire.
27 Then the princes, governors, captains, and counselors crowded around them and saw that the fire hadn’t touched them—not a hair of their heads was singed; their coats were unscorched, and they didn’t even smell of smoke!
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, for he sent his angel to deliver his trusting servants when they defied the king’s commandment and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own. 29 Therefore, I make this decree, that any person of any nation, language, or religion[d] who speaks a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb and his house knocked into a heap of rubble. For no other God can do what this one does.”
30 Then the king gave promotions to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, so that they prospered greatly there in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:5 the band, literally, “the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltry, dulcimer, and every other sort of instrument.” So also in vv. 7 and 10.
- Daniel 3:7 whatever his nation, language, or religion, implied.
- Daniel 3:25 looks like a god, literally, “looks like a son of the gods.”
- Daniel 3:29 of any nation, language, or religion, implied.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.