Psalms 139
1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
O YHWH, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O YHWH, thou knowest it altogether.
5 You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O El! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O Eloah: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?
Do not I hate them, O YHWH, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
Search me, O El, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
