Daniel 3:1-12 ▼

1 Some time later, king Nebuchadnezzar built a golden statue, making it 60 cubits high and six cubits wide. He set it up in the Dura Valley within the province of Babylon.

2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the regional authorities, governors, deputy governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all of the other administrators of the provinces, ordering them to come to the dedication of the statue that he had erected.

3 So the regional authorities, governors, deputy governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all of the other administrators of the provinces assembled to dedicate the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They took their places in front of the statue that he had erected.

4 Then a herald proclaimed aloud: |People of all nations, and languages are commanded:

5 Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that was set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.

6 Anyone who does not fall down and worship is immediately to be thrown into the blazing fire furnace.|

7 Therefore, when all of the people |heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various other instruments,| all the |people, nations, and languages| began to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8 Just then, certain influential Chaldeans took this opportunity to come forward and denounce the Jews.

9 They told King Nebuchadnezzar, |Your majesty, live forever.

10 You, your majesty, issued this decree: 'Every man who hears the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various other instruments is to fall down and worship the golden statue.

11 Whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown into a blazing fire furnace.'

12 |Certain influential Jewish men whom you appointed to manage the city of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—have neither paid attention to you, your majesty, nor served your gods. And they won't worship the golden statue that you set up.|