Psalm 2–3

Psalm 2

God’s Promise to His Anointed

¹Why do the nations conspire

and the peoples plot in vain?^*

²The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord and his anointed, saying,^*

³“Let us burst their bonds apart

and cast their cords from us.”

⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord has them in derision.^*

⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath

and terrify them in his fury, saying,^*

⁶“I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”^*

⁷I will tell of the decree of the Lord:

He said to me, “You are my son;

today I have begotten you.^*

⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage

and the ends of the earth your possession.^*

⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron

and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”^*

¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

be warned, O rulers of the earth.

¹¹Serve the Lord with fear;

with trembling^{* 12}kiss his feet,^a

or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.^*

Psalm 3

Trust in God under Adversity

A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.

¹O Lord, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me;

²many are saying to me,

“There is no help for you^b in God.”   Selah

³But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.^*

⁴I cry aloud to the Lord,

and he answers me from his holy hill.   Selah^*

⁵I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.^*

⁶I am not afraid of ten thousands of people

who have set themselves against me all around.

⁷Rise up, O Lord!

Deliver me, O my God!

For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;

you break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸Deliverance belongs to the Lord;

may your blessing be on your people!   Selah^*