2:1 The heavens and the earth 1 were completed with everything that was in them. 2 2:2 By 3 the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, 4 and he ceased 5 on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing. 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy 6 because on it he ceased all the work that he 7 had been doing in creation. 8
2:4 This is the account 9 of the heavens and
the earth 10 when they were created – when the Lord God 11 made the earth and heavens. 12
2:5 Now 13 no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field 14 had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 15 2:6 Springs 16 would well up 17 from the earth and water 18 the whole surface of the ground. 19 2:7 The Lord God formed 20 the man from the soil of the ground 21 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, 22 and the man became a living being. 23
2:8 The Lord God planted an orchard 24 in the east, 25 in Eden; 26 and there he placed the man he had formed. 27 2:9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, 28 every tree that was pleasing to look at 29 and good for food. (Now 30 the tree of life 31 and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 32 were in the middle of the orchard.)
2:10 Now 33 a river flows 34 from Eden 35 to
water the orchard, and from there it divides 36 into four headstreams. 37 2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through 38 the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 2:12 (The gold of that land is pure; 39 pearls 40 and lapis lazuli 41 are also there). 2:13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it runs through 42 the entire land of Cush. 43 2:14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it runs along the east side of Assyria. 44 The fourth river is the Euphrates.
2:15 The Lord God took the man and placed 45 him in the orchard in 46 Eden to care for it and to maintain it. 47 2:16 Then the Lord God commanded 48 the man, “You may freely eat 49 fruit 50 from every tree of the orchard, 2:17 but 51 you must not eat 52 from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when 53 you eat from it you will surely die.” 54
2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. 55 I will make a companion 56 for him who corresponds to him.” 57 2:19 The Lord God formed 58 out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would 59 name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 2:20 So the man named all the animals, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the field, but for Adam 60 no companion who corresponded to him was found. 61 2:21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, 62 and while he was asleep, 63 he took part of the man’s side 64 and closed up the place with flesh. 65 2:22 Then the Lord God made 66 a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 2:23 Then the man said,
“This one at last 67 is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one will be called 68 ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of 69 man.” 70
2:24 That is why 71 a man leaves 72 his father and mother and unites with 73 his wife, and they become a new family. 74 2:25 The man and his wife were both naked, 75 but they were not ashamed. 76
1:1 In the beginning 77 God 78 created 79 the heavens and the earth. 80
1:1 In the beginning 81 God 82 created 83 the heavens and the earth. 84
1:1 In the beginning 85 God 86 created 87 the heavens and the earth. 88
46:1 Bel 89 kneels down,
Nebo 90 bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts. 91
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals. 92
46:2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images; 93
they themselves 94 head off into captivity. 95
46:3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, 96
all you who are left from the family of Israel, 97
you who have been carried from birth, 98
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb. 99
46:4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you, 100
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you. 101
46:5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale 102
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
46:7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not 103 move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
3:1 104 King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden 105 statue made. 106 It was ninety feet 107 tall and nine feet 108 wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 3:2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, 109 and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he 110 had erected. 3:3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. 111
3:4 Then the herald 112 made a loud 113 proclamation: “To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given: 114 3:5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, 115 trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must 116 bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. 3:6 Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately 117 be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!” 3:7 Therefore when they all 118 heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, 119 and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
3:8 Now 120 at that time certain 121 Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against 122 the Jews. 3:9 They said 123 to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 124 3:10 You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. 3:11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 3:12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – and these men 125 have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage 126 demanded that they bring 127 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them 128 before the king. 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? 3:15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” 129 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 130 “We do not need to give you a reply 131 concerning this. 3:17 If 132 our God whom we are serving exists, 133 he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 3:18 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.”
3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed 134 toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders 135 to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 3:20 He ordered strong 136 soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, 137 and were thrown into the furnace 138 of blazing fire. 3:22 But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted 139 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed 140 by the leaping flames. 141 3:23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace 142 of blazing fire while still securely bound. 143
3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw 144 into 145 the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.” 3:25 He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!” 146 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, 147 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire. 148 3:27 Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically 149 unharmed by the fire. 150 The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!
3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, 151 “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel 152 and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring 153 the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than 154 serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! 3:29 I hereby decree 155 that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes 156 the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.” 3:30 Then Nebuchadnezzar 157 promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
2:18 What good 158 is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? 159
What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? 160
Why would its creator place his trust in it 161
and make 162 such mute, worthless things?
2:19 The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead 163 –
he who says 164 to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’
Can it give reliable guidance? 165
It is overlaid with gold and silver;
it has no life’s breath inside it.