Five Mere Christians

The Adversity Gospel: Trading Prosperity Promises and Deep Disappointment for Unsinkable Hope

Building Unshakeable Faith

The Way Up Is Down

Beautifully Scarred

Finding Hope: A Journey With Jesus for Women

Holy Week

Scarcity & Abundance: A Three-Day Journey in God’s Word

The Battle of Pride vs. Humility

You Are Called: Discover Your God-Given Gifts to Fulfill Your Purpose

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">1</div><div class="s1">Daniel&#8217;s Training in Babylon</div><div class="p">1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia#1:2 Hebrew Shinar and put in the treasure house of his god.</div><div class="p">3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king&#8217;s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility&#8212; 4young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king&#8217;s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.#1:4 Or Chaldeans 5The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king&#8217;s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king&#8217;s service.</div><div class="p">6Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.</div><div class="p">8But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10but the official told Daniel, &#8220;I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your#1:10 The Hebrew for your and you in this verse is plural. food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.&#8221;</div><div class="p">11Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12&#8220;Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.&#8221; 14So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.</div><div class="p">15At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.</div><div class="p">17To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.</div><div class="p">18At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king&#8217;s service. 20In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.</div><div class="p">21And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace</div><div class="p">1King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,#3:1 That is, about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide or about 27 meters high and 2.7 meters wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.</div><div class="p">4Then the herald loudly proclaimed, &#8220;Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.&#8221;</div><div class="p">7Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.</div><div class="p">8At this time some astrologers#3:8 Or Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, &#8220;May the king live forever! 10Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon&#8212;Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego&#8212;who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.&#8221;</div><div class="p">13Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, &#8220;Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?&#8221;</div><div class="p">16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, &#8220;King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us#3:17 Or If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty&#8217;s hand. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.&#8221;</div><div class="p">19Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22The king&#8217;s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.</div><div class="p">24Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, &#8220;Weren&#8217;t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?&#8221;</div><div class="p">They replied, &#8220;Certainly, Your Majesty.&#8221;</div><div class="p">25He said, &#8220;Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.&#8221;</div><div class="p">26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, &#8220;Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!&#8221;</div><div class="p">So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.</div><div class="p">28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, &#8220;Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king&#8217;s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.&#8221;</div><div class="p">30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.</div>
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