Psalm 2
Good News Translation
God's Chosen King
2 (A)Why do the nations plan rebellion?
Why do people make their useless plots?
2 Their 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.”
4 From his throne in heaven the Lord laughs
and mocks their feeble plans.
5 Then he warns them in anger
and terrifies them with his fury.
6 “On Zion,[a] my sacred hill,” he says,
“I have installed my king.”
7 (B)“I will announce,” says the king, “what the Lord has declared.
He said to me: ‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask, and I will give you all the nations;
the whole earth will be yours.
9 (C)You will break them with an iron rod;
you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot.’”
10 Now listen to this warning, you kings;
learn this lesson, you rulers of the world:
11 Serve the Lord with fear;
tremble 12 and bow down to him;[b]
or else his anger will be quickly aroused,
and you will suddenly die.
Happy are all who go to him for protection.
Footnotes
- Psalm 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.
- Psalm 2:12 Probable text tremble … him; some other possible texts with trembling kiss his feet and with trembling kiss the Son and tremble and kiss the mighty one; Hebrew unclear.
Psalm 2
English Standard Version
The Reign of the Lord's Anointed
2 (A)Why do (B)the nations rage[a]
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his (C)Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us (D)burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who (E)sits in the heavens (F)laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his (G)wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have (H)set my King
on (I)Zion, my (J)holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, (K)“You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and (L)the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall (M)break[b] them with (N)a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like (O)a potter's vessel.”
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
