Daniel 3:3

¹⁷For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.

¹³These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

¹³He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. ¹⁴He deceives my own^[+] people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. ¹⁵It was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands or on their foreheads;

²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God; ²⁵because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;

³⁴But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

¹¹There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.

²¹Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. ²⁴Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; ²⁵who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. ²⁷Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. ²⁸Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

¹God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. ²“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah. ³“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. ⁴Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” ⁵They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. ⁶I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High. ⁷Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.” ⁸Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.