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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Daniel 3 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/daniel/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/daniel/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Daniel 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../daniel/2.htm" title="Daniel 2">◄</a> Daniel 3 <a href="../daniel/4.htm" title="Daniel 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">King Nebuchadnezzar's Gold Statue</h3><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_1"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.1" class="v27_3_1">1</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.3.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built 27 meters high and nearly 3 meters wide. He had it set up in Dura Valley near the city of Babylon, </span><span class="v27_3_2"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.2" class="v27_3_2">2</span>and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom to the dedication of the statue. </span><span class="v27_3_3"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.3" class="v27_3_3">3</span>So all of them came and stood in front of it.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_4"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.4" class="v27_3_4">4</span>Then an official stood up and announced:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v27_3_4">People of every nation and race, now listen to the king's command! </span><span class="v27_3_5"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.5" class="v27_3_5">5</span>Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. </span><span class="v27_3_6"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.6" class="v27_3_6">6</span>Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_7"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.7" class="v27_3_7">7</span>As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_8"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.8" class="v27_3_8">8</span>Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. </span><span class="v27_3_9"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.9" class="v27_3_9">9</span>They said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! </span><span class="v27_3_10"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.10" class="v27_3_10">10</span>You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. </span><span class="v27_3_11"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.11" class="v27_3_11">11</span>And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. </span><span class="v27_3_12"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.12" class="v27_3_12">12</span>Sir, you appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_13"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.13" class="v27_3_13">13</span>King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men and said, </span><span class="v27_3_14"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.14" class="v27_3_14">14</span>“I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. </span><span class="v27_3_15"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.15" class="v27_3_15">15</span>Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don't, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_16"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.16" class="v27_3_16">16</span>The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves. </span><span class="v27_3_17"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.17" class="v27_3_17">17</span>The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. </span><span class="v27_3_18"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.18" class="v27_3_18">18</span>But even if he doesn't, we still won't worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_19"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.19" class="v27_3_19">19</span>Nebuchadnezzar's face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. </span><span class="v27_3_20"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.20" class="v27_3_20">20</span>Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. </span><span class="v27_3_21"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.21-Dan.3.23" class="v27_3_21">21-23</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.3.21-Dan.3.23!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_24"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.24" class="v27_3_24">24</span>Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren't only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_24">“Yes, Your Majesty,” his officers answered.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_25"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.25" class="v27_3_25">25</span>“But I see four men walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”<a href="#fn" id="link_Dan.3.25!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_26"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.26" class="v27_3_26">26</span>Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_26">They came out, </span><span class="v27_3_27"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.27" class="v27_3_27">27</span>and the king's high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn't scorched, and their clothes didn't even smell like smoke. </span><span class="v27_3_28"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.28" class="v27_3_28">28</span>King Nebuchadnezzar said:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v27_3_28">Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. </span><span class="v27_3_29"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.29" class="v27_3_29">29</span>And I won't allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v27_3_30"><span class="reftext" id="Dan.3.30" class="v27_3_30">30</span>After this happened, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in Babylon Province.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.25 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">a god: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Aramaic “a son of the gods” or “a son of God.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. 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