Bible Verses About Religious Coercion: General references

and they entered into a covenant to seek ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and with all their being;

[they also agreed] that whoever refused to seek ADONAI the God of Isra'el should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.

They swore this to ADONAI in a loud voice, with shouting and blowing of trumpets and shofars.

All Y'hudah was full of joy at this oath; for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with all their will; and they found him, and ADONAI gave them rest all around.

N'vukhadnetzar the king had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, which he set up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Bavel.

Then N'vukhadnetzar the king summoned the viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue which N'vukhadnetzar the king had set up.

The viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue which N'vukhadnetzar the king had set up. They stood in front of the statue that N'vukhadnetzar had set up;

and a herald proclaimed, "Peoples! Nations! Languages! You are ordered

that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, you fall down and worship the gold statue that N'vukhadnetzar the king has set up.

Whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown immediately into a blazing hot furnace."

Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute and the rest of the musical instruments, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the gold statue that N'vukhadnetzar the king had set up.

But then some Kasdim approached and began denouncing the Jews.

They said to N'vukhadnetzar the king, "May the king live forever!

Your majesty, you have ordered that everyone who hears sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments is to fall down and worship the gold statue;

and that whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown into a blazing hot furnace.

There are some Jews whom you have put in charge of the affairs of the province of Bavel, Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go; and these men, your majesty, have paid no attention to you. They do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the gold statue you set up."

In a raging fury N'vukhadnetzar ordered that Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go be brought. When the men had been brought before the king,

N'vukhadnetzar said to them, "Shadrakh! Meishakh! 'Aved-N'go! Is it true that you neither serve my gods nor worship the gold statue I set up?

All right, then. If you are prepared, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, to fall down and worship the gold statue, very well. But if you won't worship, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing hot furnace - and what god will save you from my power then?"

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

Your majesty, if our God, whom we serve, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing hot furnace and from your power.

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."

N'vukhadnetzar became so utterly enraged that his face was distorted with anger against Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go. He ordered the furnace made seven times hotter than usual.

Then he ordered some of the strongest men in his army to tie up Shadrakh, Meishakh and 'Aved-N'go and throw them into the blazing hot furnace.

So these men were tied up in their cloaks, tunics, robes and other clothes, and thrown into the blazing hot furnace.