Psalm 2 Text

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Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 2. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional and discourse analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, or our Expanded Paraphrase.

Simple Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		Simple Reading (English)
Forthcoming.
Dramatic Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		Dramatic Reading (English)
Forthcoming.

Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.
לָ֭מָּה רָגְשׁ֣וּ גוֹיִ֑ם
 1a
Why have nations thronged,
וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים יֶהְגּוּ־רִֽיק׃
 1b
and why do peoples mutter emptiness?
יִ֥תְיַצְּב֨וּ ׀ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֗רֶץ
 2a
Kings of earth are standing,
וְרוֹזְנִ֥ים נֽוֹסְדוּ־יָ֑חַד
 2b
and rulers have conspired together
עַל־יְ֝הוָה וְעַל־מְשִׁיחֽוֹ׃
 2c
against YHWH and against his anointed one.
נְֽ֭נַתְּקָה אֶת־מֽוֹסְרוֹתֵ֑ימוֹ
 3a
“Let us tear off their bonds,
וְנַשְׁלִ֖יכָה מִמֶּ֣נּוּ עֲבֹתֵֽימוֹ׃
 3b
and let us throw their ropes from us.”
יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם יִשְׂחָ֑ק
 4a
The one enthroned in the heavens laughs.
אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמוֹ׃
 4b
The Lord mocks them.
אָ֤ז יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֵ֣ימוֹ בְאַפּ֑וֹ
 5a
Then he speaks to them in his wrath,
וּֽבַחֲרוֹנ֥וֹ יְבַהֲלֵֽמוֹ׃
 5b
and he dismays them with his anger.
וַ֭אֲנִי נָסַ֣כְתִּי מַלְכִּ֑י
 6a
“But I have cast my king (as my image)
עַל־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן הַר־קָדְשִֽׁי׃
 6b
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה אֶֽ֫ל חֹ֥ק
 7a
Let me recount the decree.
יְֽהוָ֗ה אָמַ֘ר אֵלַ֥י בְּנִ֥י אַ֑תָּה
 7b
YHWH said to me, "You are my son.
אֲ֝נִ֗י הַיּ֥וֹם יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ׃
 7c
I have become your father today.
שְׁאַ֤ל מִמֶּ֗נִּי
 8a
Ask me,
וְאֶתְּנָ֣ה ג֭וֹיִם נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ
 8b
and I will make the nations your inheritance
וַ֝אֲחֻזָּתְךָ֗ אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
 8c
and the ends of the earth your property.
תְּ֭רֹעֵם בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט בַּרְזֶ֑ל
 9a
You will crush them with an iron sceptre.
כִּכְלִ֖י יוֹצֵ֣ר תְּנַפְּצֵֽם׃
 9b
You will smash them like a potter’s vessel.
וְ֭עַתָּה מְלָכִ֣ים הַשְׂכִּ֑ילוּ
 10a
And now, kings, be wise.
הִ֝וָּסְר֗וּ שֹׁ֣פְטֵי אָֽרֶץ׃
 10b
Accept discipline, rulers of earth.
עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּיִרְאָ֑ה
 11a
Serve YHWH with fear
וְ֝גִ֗ילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה׃
 11b
and rejoice with trembling.
נַשְּׁקוּ־בַ֡ר פֶּן־יֶאֱנַ֤ף ׀ וְתֹ֬אבְדוּ דֶ֗רֶךְ
 12a
Kiss the son, lest he become angry and you perish in your conduct,
כִּֽי־יִבְעַ֣ר כִּמְעַ֣ט אַפּ֑וֹ
 12b
for his anger rages easily.
אַ֝שְׁרֵ֗י כָּל־ח֥וֹסֵי בֽוֹ׃
 12c
Happy are all who take refuge in him.

Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.

This resource is forthcoming.

Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

This resource is forthcoming.

Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.

This resource is forthcoming.