Scripture Verse

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? Psalm 2:1

Introduction

Words: Tho­mas Stern­hold (?–1549).

Music: Bing­ham, ano­ny­mous (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Stern­hold (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Why did the Gen­tiles tu­mults raise?
What rage was in their brain?
Why do the peo­ple still con­trive
A thing that is but vain?

The kings and rul­ers of the earth
Conspire and are all bent
Against the Lord, and Christ His Son,
Whom He among us sent.

Shall we be bound to them? Say they,
Let all their bonds be broke;
And of their doc­trine and their law
Let us re­ject the yoke.

But He that in the Heav’n doth dwell,
Their do­ings will de­ride;
And make them all as mock­ing-stocks
Throughout the world so wide.

For in His wrath He shall re­prove
Their pride and scorn­ful way,
And in His fu­ry trou­ble them,
And un­to them shall say,

I have anoint­ed Him My king
Upon My ho­ly hill;
I will there­fore, Lord, preach Thy law
According to Thy will:

The law where­of the Lord Him­self
Hath thus said un­to Me,
Thou art My on­ly Son, this day
Have I be­got­ten Thee.

The peo­ple I will give to Thee,
As heirs at Thy re­quest
The ends and coasts of all the earth
By Thee shall be pos­sessed.

Thou shalt them bruise e’en like to those
That un­der foot are trod,
And as a pot­ter’s ves­sel break
Them with an ir­on rod.

Now ye, O kings and rul­ers all,
Be wise there­fore and learned,
By who the mat­ters of the world
Are judged and dis­cerned.

See that ye serve the Lord above
In trem­bling and in fear;
See that with re­ver­ence ye re­joice
When ye to Him draw near:

See that ye do em­brace and kiss
His Son with­out de­lay;
Lest in His wrath ye sud­den­ly
Perish from the right way.

If once His wrath (but lit­tle) shall
Be kin­dled in His breast,
Then on­ly they that trust in Him
Shall hap­py be and blest.