Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Daniel 3:18

But even if God does not save us, we want you to know, King, that we refuse to serve your gods. We will not worship the gold idol you have set up."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abed-Nego;   Coercion;   Conspiracy;   Courage;   Faith;   Furnace;   Indictments;   Meshach;   Mishael;   Persecution;   Rulers;   Zeal, Religious;   Scofield Reference Index - Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Seven;   Stability;   Steadfastness;   Steadfastness-Instability;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Boldness, Holy;   Idolatry;   Missionaries, All Christians Should Be as;   Persecution;   Steadfastness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abednego;   Furnaces;   Image;   Punishments;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Courage;   Government;   Miracles;   War;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Meshach;   Shadrach;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Daniel, Book of;   Emperor Worship;   God;   Image, Nebuchadnezzar's;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abednego ;   Furnace;   Meshach ;   Shadrach ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Sackbut;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abednego;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Worship;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Azariah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
Hebrew Names Version
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
King James Version
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
English Standard Version
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
New American Standard Bible
"But even if He does not, 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."
New Century Version
But even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
Amplified Bible
"But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
But if not, bee it knowen to thee, O King, that wee will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set vp.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Berean Standard Bible
But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up."
Contemporary English Version
But even if he doesn't, we still won't worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up."
Complete Jewish Bible
But even if he doesn't, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will neither serve your gods nor worship the gold statue which you have set up."
Darby Translation
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up.
George Lamsa Translation
Then the king shall know that we will not serve your god nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
Good News Translation
But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up."
Lexham English Bible
And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, and the statue of gold that you have set up we will not worship."
Literal Translation
And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And though he wil not, yet shalt thou knowe (o kynge) that we will not serue thy goddes, ner do reuerece to the ymage, which thou hast set vp.
American Standard Version
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Bible in Basic English
But if not, be certain, O King, that we will not be the servants of your gods, or give worship to the image of gold which you have put up.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.'
King James Version (1611)
But if not, bee it knowen vnto thee, O king, that we will not serue thy gods, nor worship thy golden image, which thou hast set vp.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And though he will not, yet shalt thou knowe O king, that we will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set vp.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up.
English Revised Version
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
World English Bible
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That if he nyle, be it knowun to thee, thou kyng, that we onouren not thi goddis, and we worschipen not the goldun ymage, which thou hast reisid.
Update Bible Version
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
Webster's Bible Translation
But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
New English Translation
But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don't serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected."
New King James Version
But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
New Living Translation
But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
New Life Bible
But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the object of gold that you have set up."
New Revised Standard
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if not, be it known to thee, O king, - that, thy god, will we not serve, and, the image of gold which thou hast set up, will we not adore.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if he will not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not worship thy gods, nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
Revised Standard Version
But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."
Young's Literal Translation
And lo -- not! be it known to thee, O king, that thy gods we are not serving, and to the golden image thou hast raised up we do no obeisance.'

Contextual Overview

8 Then some of the Chaldeans came up to the king and began speaking against the people from Judah. 9 They said, "King, may you live forever! 10 King, you gave a command. You said that everyone who hears the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments must bow down and worship the gold idol. 11 And you also said that whoever does not bow down and worship the gold idol will be thrown into a very hot furnace. 12 There are some Judeans who you made important officials in the province of Babylon that ignored your order, King. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They don't worship your gods, and they didn't bow down to worship the gold idol you set up." 13 Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they were brought to him. 14 And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don't worship my gods? And is it true that you didn't bow down and worship the gold idol I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must bow down and worship the gold idol. If you are ready to worship the idol I have made, that is good. But if you don't worship it, you will be thrown very quickly into the hot furnace. Then no god will be able to save you from my power!" 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to explain these things to you. 17 If you throw us into the hot furnace, the God we serve can save us. And if he wants to, he can save us from your power.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be it: Job 13:15, Proverbs 28:1, Isaiah 51:12, Isaiah 51:13, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 10:32, Matthew 10:33, Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:2, Luke 12:3-9, Acts 4:10-13, Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29-32, Revelation 2:10, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 12:11

that: Exodus 20:3-5, Leviticus 19:4

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 21:11 - did as Jezebel 1 Chronicles 21:4 - Wherefore Proverbs 3:25 - Be Daniel 3:25 - the Son of God Daniel 5:18 - O thou Habakkuk 2:19 - that Acts 13:38 - it

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake, "You did this very bad thing, so bad things will happen to you. It will be worse for you than for any other animal. You must crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:15
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child's foot, but he will crush your head."
Joshua 23:13
the Lord your God will not help you defeat your enemies. They will become like a trap for you. They will cause you pain—like smoke and dust in your eyes. And you will be forced to leave this good land. The Lord your God gave you this land. But you can lose it if you don't obey this command.
Job 1:21
and said, "When I was born into this world, I was naked and had nothing. When I die and leave this world, I will be naked and have nothing. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of the Lord !"
Job 5:5
Hungry people ate all his crops, even the grain growing among the thorns, and greedy people took all he had.
Job 31:40
If I ever did any of these bad things, let thorns and weeds grow in my fields instead of wheat and barley!" Job's words are finished.
Psalms 90:3
You bring people into this world, and you change them into dust again.
Psalms 104:2
You wear light like a robe. You spread out the skies like a curtain.
Proverbs 22:5
Evil people are trapped by many troubles, but those who want to live avoid them.
Proverbs 24:31
Weeds were growing everywhere! Wild vines covered the ground, and the wall around the vineyard was broken and falling down.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if not,.... If our God does not think fit to exert his power, and deliver us, which we are well assured he is able to do; if it is not his will, we are content, we are resigned unto it:

be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, be it as it will, whether we are delivered or not; we are not sure of the one, but we are at a point as to the other:

nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up; come life, come death, we are ready; we had rather die than sin: they were all of one mind, and agreed in this matter; a noble instance of spiritual fortitude and courage!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if not - That is, “if he should “not” deliver us; if it should “not” occur that he would protect us, and save us from that heated oven: whatever may be the result in regard to us, our determination is settled.”

Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods ... - This answer is firm and noble. It showed that their minds were made up, and that it was with them a matter of “principle” not to worship false gods. The state of mind which is denoted by this verse is that of a determination to do their duty, whatever might be the consequences. The attention was fixed on what was “right,” not on what would be the result. The sole question which was asked was, what “ought” to be done in the case; and they had no concern about what would follow. True religion is a determined purpose to do right, and not to do wrong, whatever may be the consequences in either case. It matters not what follows - wealth or poverty; honor or dishonor; good report or evil report; life or death; the mind is firmly fixed on doing right, and not on doing wrong. This is “the religion of principle;” and when we consider the circumstances of those who made this reply; when we remember their comparative youth, and the few opportunities which they had for instruction in the nature of religion, and that they were captives in a distant land, and that they stood before the most absolute monarch of the earth, with no powerful friends to support them, and with the most horrid kind of death threatening them, we may well admire the grace of that God who could so amply furnish them for such a trial, and love that religion which enabled them to take a stand so noble and so bold.


 
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