Daniel 3:16

Webster's Bible Translation

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question.

Hebrew Names Version
Shadrakh, Meshakh, and `Aved-Nego answered the king, Nevukhadnetztzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

King James Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

English Standard Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

New American Standard Bible
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego replied to the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we are not in need of an answer to give you concerning this matter.

New Century Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, saying, "Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves to you.

Amplified Bible
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, O Nebuchad-nezzar, we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

Berean Standard Bible
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

Contemporary English Version
The three men replied, "Your Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves.

Complete Jewish Bible
Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N'go answered the king, "Your question doesn't require an answer from us.

Darby Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.

Easy-to-Read Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to explain these things to you.

George Lamsa Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, There is no use to answer you concerning this matter;

Good News Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, "Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves.

Lexham English Bible
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need on this matter to present a defense to you.

Literal Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to return a word to you on this matter.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sydrac, Misac and Abdenago answered the kynge, and sayde: O Nabuchodonosor, we ought not to cosente vnto ye in this matter, for why:

American Standard Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.

Bible in Basic English
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answering Nebuchadnezzar the king, said, There is no need for us to give you an answer to this question.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king: 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.

King James Version (1611)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king; O Nebuchad-nezzar, we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Sidrach, Misach, and Abednego aunswered the king, and sayd: O Nabuchodonozor, we are not carefull to aunswere thee in this matter:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then answered Sedrach, Misach and Abdenago and said to king Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer thee concerning this matter.

English Revised Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.

World English Bible
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sidrac, Misaac, and Abdenago answeriden, and seiden to the king Nabugodonosor, It nedith not, that we answere of this thing to thee.

Update Bible Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

New English Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, "We do not need to give you a reply concerning this.

New King James Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

New Living Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.

New Life Bible
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer to this question.

New Revised Standard
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered, and said to the king: O Nebuchadnezzar! we are not accounting it needful, concerning this, to answer thee.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, answered, and said to king Nabuchodonosor: We have no occasion to answer thee concerning this matter.

Revised Standard Version
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed'nego answered the king, "O Nebuchadnez'zar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

Young's Literal Translation
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego have answered, yea, they are saying to the king Nebuchadnezzar, `We have no need concerning this matter to answer thee.

THE MESSAGE
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

Contextual Overview

⁸ Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. ⁹ They spoke and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. ¹⁰ Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image: ¹¹ And whoever shall not fall down and worship, [that] he shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ¹² There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. ¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, [Is it] true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do ye not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter. ¹⁷ If it is [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thy hand, O king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Exodus 1:17 - feared God Esther 3:4 - he had told Esther 5:9 - he was full Job 36:21 - this Psalms 112:7 - heart Psalms 119:46 - speak Proverbs 28:1 - the righteous Ecclesiastes 4:12 - and a Isaiah 44:8 - ye are Isaiah 51:12 - that thou Jeremiah 26:14 - As for Daniel 3:28 - serve Matthew 10:19 - it shall Matthew 22:21 - and Matthew 26:63 - Jesus Mark 13:11 - take Luke 12:4 - Be Acts 8:1 - except 1 Corinthians 13:3 - though I give Philippians 4:6 - careful Hebrews 11:23 - and they Hebrews 13:6 - I will 1 Peter 3:6 - and 1 Peter 3:15 - and be 1 Peter 4:19 - in Revelation 2:10 - shalt

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made: and he said to the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise; she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked: and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made for themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, Where [art] thou?

Genesis 3:10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:11
And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, that thou shouldest not eat?

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman, whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children: and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Genesis 3:17
And to Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king,.... In a mild and gentle manner, without affronting his majesty, or insulting his gods, and yet without the least degree of servile fear or fawning flattery:

O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter; about worshipping the image; we are not solicitous about a choice of words, or in what manner to draw up our answer, it is ready in our mouths; we have no need to take time and consider of this matter, and think what to say, we are at a point about it: as thou art peremptory in thy will to have thine image worshipped, we are as resolute, as determined, never to worship it; so that there is no need to spend time in a debate about it; thou art come to a conclusion, and so are we: or in this matter, about the power of our God to deliver, we are not solicitous about an answer to that; we leave him to defend himself, and his own power, against such insults upon him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king - They appear to have answered promptly, and without hesitation, showing that they had carefully considered the subject, and that with them it was a matter of settled and intelligent principle. But they did it in a respectful manner, though they were firm. They neither reviled the monarch nor his gods. They used no reproachful words respecting the image which he had set up, or any of the idols which he worshipped. Nor did they complain of his injustice or severity. They calmly looked at their own duty, and resolved to do it, leaving the consequences with the God whom they worshipped.

We are not careful to answer thee in this matter - The word rendered “careful” (חשׁח chăshach) means, according to Gesenius, “to be needed” or “necessary;” then, “to have need.” The Vulgate renders it, “non oportet nos” - it does not behove us; it is not needful for us. So the Greek, ου ̓ χρείαν ἔχομεν ou chreian echomen - we have no need. So Luther, Es ist Nicht noth - there is no necessity. The meaning therefore is, that it was not “necessary” that they should reply to the king on that point; they would not give themselves trouble or solicitude to do it. They had made up their minds, and, whatever was the result, they could not worship the image which he had set up, or the gods whom he adored. They felt that there was no necessity for stating the reasons why they could not do this. Perhaps they thought that argument in their case was improper. It became them to do their duty, and to leave the event with God. They had no need to go into an extended vindication of their conduct, for it might be presumed that their principles of conduct were well known. The state of mind, therefore, which is indicated by this passage, is that their minds were made up; that their principles were settled and well understood; that they had come to the deliberate determination, as a matter of conscience, not to yield obedience to the command; that the result could not be modified by any statement which they could make, or by any argument in the case; and that, therefore, they were not anxious about the result, but calmly committed the whole cause to God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. We are not careful — We have no need to put thee to any farther trouble; we have made up our minds on this subject, and have our answer ready: Be it known unto thee, WE WILL NOT SERVE THY GODS. This was as honest as it was decisive.