But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
Parallel translations
- KJV 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.
- BSB 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.”
- NKJV 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.”
- NASB 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.”
- NLT 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.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
"But if not," they will still refuse to serve the king's gods. Their loyalty does not depend on being rescued.
Overview
This is the heart of their faith: obedience whether or not God delivers them in this life. They will not bow even if it means death, trusting God's will above their own survival. Their words model a worship that loves God for who he is, not merely for what he gives, and anticipate the martyr's courage seen throughout church history.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Acts 5:29–32But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
- Matt 10:39He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
- Rev 2:10–11Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.
- Matt 10:32–33Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
- Luke 12:3–9Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
- Acts 4:10–13be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole.
- Josh 24:15If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
- Isa 51:12–13“I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you, that you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who will be made as grass?
- Prov 28:1The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Rev 12:11They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.
- Dan 3:28Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
- Job 13:15Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
- Lev 19:4“‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.
- Exod 20:3–5“You shall have no other gods before me.
- Acts 4:19But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,
- Matt 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
- Matt 16:2But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 3:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.