Cast Your Burden upon Yahweh
(2 Samuel 17:15–29)

1For the one directing. With stringed instruments. A Maskil† of David.

1 Turn your ear, O God, to my prayer,

and do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

2Be attentive to me, and answer me;

for I am restless in my complaint,

and make a noise, 3from the voice of the enemy,

from the face of the oppression of the wicked.

For they bring down trouble upon me,

and in anger they hate me.

4My heart is writhing within me,

and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5Fear and trembling have come upon me,

and shuddering has covered me.

6And I said, “Who shall give to me a wing like a dove,

that I might fly away and be at rest—

7behold, I would go far off wandering

and would lodge in the wilderness.

Selah

8I would hurry to shelter for myself,

from the rushing wind, from the tempest.”

9Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongues!

For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10Day and night they go around it, on its walls,

and iniquity and trouble are in its midst.

11Disasters are in its midst,

and oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

12For it is not an enemy who scorns me,

or I could bear it;

and not one hating me who wielded power against me,

or I could hide myself from him.

13And it was you, a man like me in rank,

my companion, and one known by me,

14with whom we would take sweet counsel together;

in the house of God we walked with the throng.

15Devastation is upon them!

May they go down alive to Sheol!

For evils are in their dwellings, in their midst.

16I will call to God,

and YHWH will save me.

17Evening and morning and noon I meditate and cry aloud,

and He hears my voice.

18In peace He has redeemed my soul from the battle against me,

though there were many against me.

19God will hear and afflict them—

even He who sits of old—

Selah

with whom there are no changes for Him.

And they have not fear God.

20He has stretched out his hands against those united with him;

he has profaned his covenant.

21His mouth has been smoother than butter,

and war is in his heart;

his words have been softer than oil,

and they are drawn swords.

22Cast your burden upon YHWH,

and He will sustain you;

He will not give a righteous one to be shaken forever.

23And You, O God, will bring them down

to the Pit of destruction,

men of blood and deceit!

They will not live even half their days.

And I will trust in You.