Why do the nations rage, and the peoples devise a vain thing?

The wicked in his pride persecutes the lowly; let them be caught in the plots that they have devised.

For I have heard the slander of many; fear is on every side; while they take counsel together against me, they have plotted to take away my life.

For they do not speak peace; but they devise deceitful things against the quiet ones of the earth.

And Jehovah gave me knowledge of it, and I made it known; for You showed me their doings.

But I was like a docile lamb being led to the slaughter. And I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be remembered no more.

And He said to me: Son of man, these are the men who devise wickedness and give evil advice in this city,

But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they held Him as a prophet.

and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.

But they said, Not during the Feast, that there not be an uproar among the people.

And when they had brought them, they stood them before the council. And the high priest asked them,

saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood upon us.

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.

Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and break through the wall for ourselves, and set a king in the midst of it, the son of Tabeel.

Thus says the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass.

Suffer evil, O people, and be broken! Give ear, all you from distant lands. Gird yourselves and be broken. Gird yourselves and be broken!

Take counsel and make plans, but they will be frustrated. Speak a word, but it shall not stand; for the Mighty God is with us.

And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you find Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and do homage to Him also.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was greatly enraged; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired from the wise men.

saying, Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, After three days I will rise.

Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, that His disciples not come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, He has risen from the dead. So the last deception will be worse than the first.

And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us threaten them with a threat, that from now on they speak to no one in this name.

And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.