Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?

The wicked are proud and persecute the poor; catch them in the traps they have made.

I hear many enemies whispering; terror is all around me. They are making plans against me, plotting to kill me.

They do not speak in a friendly way; instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.

The LORD informed me of the plots that my enemies were making against me.

I was like a trusting lamb taken out to be killed, and I did not know that it was against me that they were planning evil things. They were saying, "Let's chop down the tree while it is still healthy; let's kill him so that no one will remember him any more."

God said to me, "Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice in this city.

so they tried to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

and made plans to arrest Jesus secretly and put him to death.

"We must not do it during the festival," they said, "or the people will riot."

They brought the apostles in, made them stand before the Council, and the High Priest questioned them.

"We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name of this man," he said; "but see what you have done! You have spread your teaching all over Jerusalem, and you want to make us responsible for his death!"

"Come," they say, "let us destroy their nation, so that Israel will be forgotten forever."

They intend to invade Judah, terrify the people into joining their side, and then put Tabeel's son on the throne.

"But I, the LORD, declare that this will never happen.

Gather together in fear, you nations! Listen, you distant parts of the earth. Get ready to fight, but be afraid! Yes, get ready, but be afraid!

Make your plans! But they will never succeed. Talk all you want to! But it is all useless, because God is with us.

Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: "Go and make a careful search for the child; and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him."

When Herod realized that the visitors from the East had tricked him, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old and younger---this was done in accordance with what he had learned from the visitors about the time when the star had appeared.

and said, "Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, 'I will be raised to life three days later.'

Give orders, then, for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so that his disciples will not be able to go and steal the body, and then tell the people that he was raised from death. This last lie would be even worse than the first one."

Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it.

The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men.

He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying.

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn these men never again to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus."

So they called them back in and told them that under no condition were they to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus.