Old/New Testament
The Faithfulness of Three Young Israelites and God’s Deliverance
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made a statue of gold. Its height was sixty cubits and its width was six cubits; he set it up in the valley of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent directions to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all of the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the province were assembled for the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, and were standing before[a] the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald proclaimed aloud,[b] “To you it is commanded,[c] O peoples, nations and people of all languages,[d] 5 that at the time that you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, the drum and all kinds of music, you must fall down and you must worship the statue of gold[e] that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 And whoever[f] does not fall down and worship will be thrown immediately[g] into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore,[h] at that time,[i] as soon as[j] all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations and people of all languages[k] were falling down and were worshiping the statue of gold[l] that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 Therefore[m] at this time[n] some astrologers[o] came forward and they denounced the Jews.[p] 9 They responded and said[q] to Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, may you live forever![r] 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone[s] who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp and the drum and all kinds of music, he shall fall down and shall worship the statue of gold.[t] 11 And whoever[u] does not fall down[v] and worship shall be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 12 However there are Judean men whom you have appointed[w] over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—these men, O king, pay you no heed[x] and were not serving your god, and the statue of gold[y] that you set up they are not worshiping.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar said in rage and anger to bring in Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; then they brought in these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you are not serving my god, and you are not worshiping the statue of gold[z] that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready so that when[aa] you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the harp and the drum and all kinds of music, you fall down and you worship the statue that I have made, that will be good. But if you do not worship it, immediately[ab] you will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god[ac] who[ad] will rescue you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need on this matter to present a defense to you.[ae] 17 If it is so,[af] our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. 18 And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods,[ag] and the statue of gold[ah] that you have set up we will not worship.”
The Wrath of the King and His Fiery Furnace of Death
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger and the image of his face was changed toward[ai] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so he ordered and said[aj] to heat up the one furnace seven times what was usual to heat it up. 20 And he commanded the strongest men of the guards[ak] who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these men were bound with their garments, their trousers and their turbans and their other clothing, and they were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Therefore[al] because[am] the word of the king was severe and the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed these men who lifted up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 23 But these men, the three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and they were bound.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in haste and he asked, saying to his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? They answered, saying to the king, “Certainly, O king!” 25 He answered,[an] saying, “Look, I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and there is no damage to them, and the[ao] appearance of the fourth man resembles the son of a god.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire, and he called out, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants[ap] of the Most High God, come out[aq] and come here!” 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the advisors of the king were assembling, and they saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, and the hair of their heads was[ar] not singed, and their garments were not harmed, and the smell of fire did not come from them.
The King’s Praise for the Great Deliverance of the Three Young Israelites
28 Nebuchadnezzar responded,[as] saying, “Blessed be their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel[at] and rescued his servants who trusted in him, and the command of the king they disobeyed, and they gave their bodies so that they did not serve and did not worship any god except their God. 29 And from me is set forth[au] a decree that any people, nation, or language that may utter criticism against their God—the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—will be broken into pieces and their[av] house will be made like ruins. For[aw] there is not another God who is able to rescue like this God.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar Declares What the Most High God Has Done for Him
4 [ax] Nebuchadnezzar the king to all of the nations, the peoples and languages that live in the whole earth: “May your prosperity increase! 2 It is pleasing to me to recount the signs and wonders that the Most High God worked for me. 3 How great are his signs and wonders, how strong is his kingdom, an everlasting kingdom;[ay] and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.
The Dream and the King’s Search for an Interpreter
4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was content in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 And I saw a dream and a revelation on my bed and it frightened me, and the visions of my head terrified me. 6 And a decree was sent out,[az] ordering that all the wise men of Babylon were to be brought in before me so that they may make known to me the explanation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians,[ba] the conjurers,[bb] the astrologers[bc] and the diviners came in and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its explanation.[bd] 8 Then at last[be] Daniel came before me whose name was[bf] Belteshazzar, according to[bg] the name of my god, and in whom was the spirit of the holy gods,[bh] and I related the dream to him.[bi]
9 “‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians,[bj] I myself know that the spirit[bk] of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult[bl] for you. Now tell me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its explanation.[bm] 10 Now these were the visions of my head as I was lying on my bed: I was gazing[bn] and, look, a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was exalted.
11 The tree grew and it became strong,
and its height reached to heaven,[bo]
and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.[bp]
12 Its foliage was beautiful,
and its fruit abundant,
and in it was provision for all.
Under it the animals[bq] of the field sought shade,
and in its branches the birds of heaven[br] nested,
and from it all the living beings were fed.
13 “‘I was looking in the vision of my head as I lay on my bed, and look, a watcher,[bs] and a holy one, came down from heaven.
14 He cried aloud[bt] and so he said:
“Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;
shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee from under it,
and the birds from its branches.
15 But the stump of its roots
leave in the earth,
along with[bu] a band of iron and bronze;
leave it in the grass of the field.
And in[bv] the dew of heaven
let it[bw] be watered,
and with the animals[bx]
let his lot be in the grass of the earth.
16 Let his mind be changed from that of a human,[by]
and let the mind of an animal be given to him,
and let seven times pass over him.
17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers,
and the decision by the command of the holy ones,
in order that[bz] the living will know
that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind,
and to whomever[ca] he wills he gives it,
and he even sets the humblest of men over it.”
18 “‘This is the dream that I, Nebuchadnezzar the king, saw. Now[cb] you, Belteshazzar, declare its explanation, for[cc] all of the wise men of my kingdom were not able to make the explanation known to me, but you are able because the spirit of holy gods is in you.’
Daniel Relates and Interprets the Dream
19 “Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was distressed for some time,[cd] and his thoughts disturbed him. The king answered and he said, ‘Belteshazzar, let the dream and its explanation not disturb you.’ Belteshazzar answered and said, ‘My lord, may the dream and its explanation be for those who hate you and for your enemies. 20 The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong and its height reached to heaven[ce] and it was visible to the end of the whole earth,[cf] 21 and its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and so there was provision for all in it, and the animals[cg] of the field lived under it and in its branches nest the birds of heaven,[ch] 22 —it is you, O king, who have grown great and you have grown strong, and so your greatness has increased and it has reached to heaven[ci] and your sovereignty to the end of the earth. 23 And inasmuch that the king saw the watcher, a holy one coming down from heaven[cj] and he said, “Cut down the tree and destroy it, but the stump of its root in the earth leave with a band of iron and bronze in the grass of the field, and let it be watered with the dew of heaven and let his lot be with the animals of the field until seven times have passed over him.”[ck] 24 This is the explanation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king: 25 you will be driven away from human society[cl] and you will dwell[cm] with the animals[cn] of the field, and you will be caused to graze grass like the oxen yourself,[co] and you will be watered with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you until that you have acknowledged that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and to whom he wills[cp] he gives it. 26 And in that[cq] they said to leave alone the stump of the tree’s root, so your kingdom will be restored for you when[cr] you acknowledge that heaven is sovereign. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you and your sin remove[cs] with righteousness and your iniquity with having mercy on the oppressed, in case there might be a prolongation of your prosperity.’”[ct]
God Judges the King for His Hubris
28 All this happened[cu] to Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace[cv] of Babylon. 30 And the king answered and said, “Is this not the great Babylon which I have built as a royal palace by the strength of my own power, and for the glory of my own majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the mouth of the king, a voice from heaven came, saying, ‘To you, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from human society[cw] and your dwelling will be with the animals[cx] of the field and they will cause you to graze the grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind and that he gives it to whom he wills.’ 33 Immediately[cy] the word was fulfilled concerning[cz] Nebuchadnezzar, and he was expelled from human society[da] and he ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven until his hair was like the hair of an eagle and his nails grew like a bird’s claws.
The King Praises and Extols the Most High God
34 “But at the end of that period,[db] I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and then my reason returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and the one who lives forever[dc] I praised and I honored.
“For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty,
and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.
35 And all the dwellers of the earth
are regarded as nothing,
and he does according to[dd] his desire
in the host of heaven and among the dwellers of earth,
and there is not one who can hold back his hand,
or ask him,[de] ‘What are you doing?’
36 “At that time[df] my reason returned to me, and also the glory of my kingdom and my majesty and splendor returned to me, and my advisers and my lords[dg] searched me out, and I was established over my kingdom and abundant greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth,[dh] and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father[a] also loves the child fathered by him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 because everyone who is fathered by God conquers the world.
God Has Given Us Eternal Life in the Son
And this is the victory which has conquered the world: our faith. 5 Now who is the one who conquers the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify,[b] 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are in agreement[c].
9 If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Our Assurance of Eternal Life
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 And this is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. 16 If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he should ask, and he will grant life to him, to those who sin not leading to death. (There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should ask about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.)
18 We know that everyone who is fathered by God does not sin, but the one fathered by God, he protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, in order that we may know the one who is true, and we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
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