Cast Your Cares on the Lord

(2 Samuel 17:15-29)

1To the Overseer with stringed instruments. — An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.

2Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

3Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me.

4My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

5Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.

6And I say, ‘Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

7Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

8I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

9Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

10By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,

11Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.

12For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.

13But thou, a man — as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.

14When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.

15Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol — alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst.

16I — to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.

17Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,

18He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.

19God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God,

20He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.

21Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords].

22Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.

23And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I — I do trust in Thee!