God's Chosen King

¹Why do the nations plan rebellion?[#Ac 4.25,26]

Why do people make their useless plots?

²Their kings revolt,

their rulers plot together against the Lord

and against the king he chose.

³“Let us free ourselves from their rule,” they say;

“let us throw off their control.”

⁴From his throne in heaven the Lord laughs

and mocks their feeble plans.

⁵Then he warns them in anger

and terrifies them with his fury.

⁶“On Zion, my sacred hill,” he says,[#2.6: The term “Zion” (originally a designation for “David's City,” the Jebusite stronghold captured by King David's forces) was later extended in meaning to refer to the hill on which the Temple stood.]

“I have installed my king.”

⁷“I will announce,” says the king, “what the Lord has declared.[#Ac 13.33; He 1.5; 5.5]

He said to me: ‘You are my son;

today I have become your father.

⁸Ask, and I will give you all the nations;

the whole earth will be yours.

⁹You will break them with an iron rod;[#Rev 2.26,27; 12.5; 19.15]

you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot.’”

¹⁰Now listen to this warning, you kings;

learn this lesson, you rulers of the world:

¹¹Serve the Lord with fear;

tremble

¹²and bow down to him;[#2.12: Probable text some other possible texts and and Hebrew unclear.]

or else his anger will be quickly aroused,

and you will suddenly die.

Happy are all who go to him for protection.