Cast Your Burden upon the LORD (2 Samuel 17:15–29)
1 ULT Listen{ to} my prayer, God, and do not hide yourself from my plea. BSB BSB: For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.
2 ULT Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and let me moan BSB BSB: Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught
3 ULT from the voice of the enemy, from the face of the oppression of the wicked. For they shake trouble onto me, and in nose they persecute me. BSB BSB: at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster upon me and resent me in their anger.
4 ULT My heart writhes in the midst of me, and the terrors of death have fallen onto me. BSB BSB: My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me.
5 ULT Fear and trembling have come on me, and horror has covered me. BSB BSB: Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
6 ULT I have said,“Who will give the wing of a dove to me? Let me fly away and let me dwell. BSB BSB: I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.
7 ULT Behold, I would make distance, wandering; I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah BSB BSB: How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah
8 ULT Let me hasten for myself{ to} an escape from the storming wind, from the tempest.” BSB BSB: I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
9 ULT Swallow{ them}, Lord, divide their tongue! For I have seen violence and strife in the city. BSB BSB: O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 ULT Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble{ are} in the midst of it. BSB BSB: Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.
11 ULT Calamity{ is} in the midst of it, and oppression and deceit do not depart from its open square. BSB BSB: Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.
12 ULT For an enemy does not reproach me; then I would bear{ it}. One hating me has not made great against me; then I would hide myself from him. BSB BSB: For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.
13 ULT But{ it was} you, a man according to my valuation, my companion and my acquaintance, BSB BSB: But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend.
14 ULT we who together made counsel sweet; we walked in the house of God with the throng. BSB BSB: We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
15 ULT { May} desolations{ be} upon them; may they go down{ to} Sheol alive, for evils{ are} in their dwelling, in the midst of them. BSB BSB: Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.
16 ULT I, I will call to God, and Yahweh will save me. BSB BSB: But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
17 ULT Evening and morning and noon, let me complain and moan, and he will hear my voice. BSB BSB: Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.
18 ULT He redeems my life in peace from the battle against me, for with many they are against me. BSB BSB: He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
19 ULT God will hear and answer them, even the one sitting{ from} antiquity, Selah to whom{ there are} no changes, so they do not fear God. BSB BSB: God will hear and humiliate them—the One enthroned for the ages—Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God.
20 ULT He stretches out his hands against his friends; he defiles his covenant. BSB BSB: My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
21 ULT The curds of his mouth were smooth, but his heart{ was} war. His words were softer than oil, but they{ were} unsheathed{ swords}. BSB BSB: His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
22 ULT Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he, he will sustain you. Forever he will not allow shaking to the righteous. BSB BSB: Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
23 ULT But you, God, will make them go down to the pit of the grave. Men of blood and treachery will not halve their days. But I, I will trust in you. BSB BSB: But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.