Daniel 3
Traducción en lenguaje actual
La gente adora la estatua de oro
3 El rey Nabucodonosor mandó hacer una estatua de oro. La estatua tenía treinta metros de alto y tres metros de ancho, y fue puesta en el valle de Durá, que está en la provincia de Babilonia. 2-3 Para la presentación de la estatua, el rey mandó que se reunieran todas las personas importantes de su gobierno. Cuando toda esa gente estuvo reunida, 4-5 un mensajero anunció:
«Hay aquí gente que viene de diferentes pueblos y habla distintos idiomas. A todos ustedes, el rey Nabucodonosor les ordena prestar atención a los músicos, que van a tocar sus instrumentos. En cuanto oigan la música, todos ustedes deberán inclinarse hasta el suelo y adorar a la estatua que el rey mandó hacer. 6 Quien no se incline para adorar a la estatua, será arrojado de inmediato a un horno encendido».
7 Y así fue. En cuanto la gente oyó la música, todos se arrodillaron y adoraron a la estatua de oro. Pero como los judíos no obedecieron la orden, 8 unos babilonios fueron a ver al rey para acusarlos. 9 Le dijeron:
«¡Deseamos que Su Majestad viva muchos años! 10 Sabemos que usted nos ha ordenado adorar a la estatua de oro, tan pronto como oigamos la música. 11 También sabemos que quien no obedezca será arrojado a un horno encendido. 12 Pero hay unos judíos que no respetan a Su Majestad, ni adoran a sus dioses, ni quieren inclinarse ante la estatua de oro. Y esto, a pesar de que Su Majestad les dio puestos muy importantes en el gobierno de Babilonia. Estamos hablando de Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego».
13 Al oír esto, el rey Nabucodonosor se enojó muchísimo y mandó que le llevaran a esos tres judíos. Cuando ellos se presentaron ante el rey, 14 él les preguntó:
—He sabido que ustedes no adoran a mis dioses ni quieren inclinarse ante la estatua de oro. ¿Es cierto eso? 15 Voy a darles una oportunidad. Si al escuchar la música, se inclinan y adoran a la estatua, no les haré nada. Pero si no la adoran, ordenaré que de inmediato los echen al horno. ¡Y ya verán que no habrá Dios que pueda salvarlos!
16-18 Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego le respondieron:
—Su Majestad, eso no es algo que nos preocupe. Si el Dios que adoramos así lo quiere, es capaz de librarnos del fuego y del poder de Su Majestad. Pero aun si no quisiera hacerlo, nosotros no pensamos adorar esa estatua de oro.
Dios salva del fuego a los tres jóvenes
19 Cuando Nabucodonosor oyó esto, se enojó mucho con los tres jóvenes y mandó que calentaran el horno al máximo. 20 Luego ordenó que sus hombres más fuertes ataran a los jóvenes y los echaran al fuego.
21-22 Los hombres del rey ataron de inmediato a Sadrac, a Mesac y a Abed-nego. Como el rey quería que los echaran al horno enseguida, los hombres del rey les dejaron la misma ropa fina que traían puesta. Pero el horno estaba demasiado caliente, así que al momento en que arrojaron a los tres jóvenes al horno, el fuego alcanzó a los hombres del rey y los mató. 23 Los jóvenes, en cambio, cayeron al horno atados.
24 Cuando Nabucodonosor vio esto, se levantó rápidamente y les preguntó a sus consejeros:
—Me parece que los jóvenes que echamos al horno eran tres, y los tres estaban atados.
—Así es —respondieron los consejeros.
25 —Entonces —dijo el rey—, ¿cómo es que yo veo a cuatro? Todos ellos están desatados, y andan paseándose por el horno, sin que les pase nada. Además, ¡el cuarto joven parece un ángel!
26 Dicho esto, Nabucodonosor se acercó al horno lo más que pudo, y gritó: «Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, servidores del Dios altísimo, ¡salgan de allí!»
Los tres jóvenes salieron del horno. 27 Enseguida los rodearon todas las personas importantes del gobierno, y se quedaron sorprendidos al ver que el fuego no les había hecho ningún daño. No se les había quemado la piel ni el pelo, ¡y ni siquiera su ropa olía a quemado!
28 El rey exclamó:
«Bendito sea el Dios de Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, que envió a su ángel para salvarlos. Tanto confían ellos en su Dios, que no quisieron obedecer mis órdenes. ¡Estaban dispuestos a morir, antes que adorar a otro dios!
29 »No hay otro dios que pueda hacer lo que el Dios de estos jóvenes ha hecho. Por lo tanto, ordeno que quien hable mal de este Dios sea cortado en pedazos, y que su casa se convierta en un basurero. ¡No me importa de dónde sea ni qué idioma hable!»
30 Además, Nabucodonosor les dio a los tres jóvenes puestos aun más importantes en el gobierno de Babilonia.
Daniel 3
New American Standard Bible
The King’s Golden Image
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made a (A)statue of gold, the height of which was [a]sixty cubits, and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the (B)province of Babylon. 2 Nebuchadnezzar the king also sent word to assemble the (C)satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the chief treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the administrators of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the chief treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the administrators of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you [b]the command is given, you (D)peoples, nations, and populations of all [c]languages, 5 that at the moment you (E)hear the sound of the horn, flute, [d]lyre, [e]trigon, [f]psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be (F)thrown into the middle of a (G)furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, [g]lyre, trigon, psaltery, [h]bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all [i]languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Worship of the Image Refused
8 For this reason at that time certain (H)Chaldeans came forward and [j](I)brought charges against the Jews. 9 They began to speak and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “(J)O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have (K)made a decree that every person who hears the sound of the horn, flute, [k]lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, is to (L)fall down and worship the golden statue. 11 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the middle of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have (M)appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods, nor do they worship the golden statue which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in (N)rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar began speaking and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve (O)my gods, nor worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready, (P)at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, [l]lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will [m]immediately be (Q)thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and (R)what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?”
16 (S)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we are not in need of an answer to give you concerning this matter. 17 If it be so, our (T)God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; [n]and (U)He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 (V)But even if He does not, (W)let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
Daniel’s Friends Protected
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with (X)wrath, and his facial expression was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He answered [o]by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in order to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these men were tied up in their (Y)trousers, their [p]coats, their caps, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 For this reason, because the king’s [q]command was (Z)harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, (AA)fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” 25 He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and (AB)walking about in the middle of the fire [r]unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the (AC)gods!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the (AD)Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (AE)came out of the middle of the fire. 27 The (AF)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the (AG)fire had no [s]effect on [t]the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor were their [u](AH)trousers [v]damaged, nor had even the smell of fire touched them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the (AI)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has (AJ)sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their (AK)trust in Him, [w]violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies (AL)rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I (AM)make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of (AN)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their (AO)houses made a rubbish heap, because there is (AP)no other god who is able to save in this way.” 30 Then the king (AQ)made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prosperous in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:1 About 90 ft. high and 9 ft. wide or 27 m and 2.7 m
- Daniel 3:4 Lit they command
- Daniel 3:4 Lit tongues
- Daniel 3:5 Or zither
- Daniel 3:5 I.e., triangular lyre
- Daniel 3:5 Or a type of harp
- Daniel 3:7 See notes v 5
- Daniel 3:7 MT omits bagpipe
- Daniel 3:7 Lit tongues
- Daniel 3:8 Lit ate the pieces of
- Daniel 3:10 See notes v 5
- Daniel 3:15 See notes v 5
- Daniel 3:15 Or in the same hour
- Daniel 3:17 Or then
- Daniel 3:19 Lit and ordered to
- Daniel 3:21 Or cloaks
- Daniel 3:22 Lit word
- Daniel 3:25 Lit there is no injury in them
- Daniel 3:27 Lit power over
- Daniel 3:27 Lit their
- Daniel 3:27 Or coats
- Daniel 3:27 Lit changed
- Daniel 3:28 Lit and changed the king’s word
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