Psalms 139
1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O Lord, you search and know me;
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.
when I sit, when I rise you know it, you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
When I walk, when I lie you sift it, familiar with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
There is not a word on my tongue, but see! Lord, you know it all.
5 You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
Behind and before you beset me, upon me you lay your hand.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
It’s too wonderful for me to know too lofty I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
Whither shall I go from your spirit? Or whither shall I flee from your face?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. (Sheol h7585)
If I climb up to heaven, you are there: or make Sheol my bed, you are there. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,
If I lift up the wings of the morning and fly to the end of the sea,
10 even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.
there also your hand would grasp me, and your right hand take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—
If I say, ‘Let the darkness cover me, and night be the 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.
The dark is not dark for you, but night is as light as the day.
13 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
For you did put me together; in my mother’s womb you did weave me.
14 I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.
I give you praise for my fashioning so full of awe, so wonderful. Your works are wonderful. You knew me 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 bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and woven in the depths 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.
Your eyes saw all my days: they stood on your book every one written down, before they were fashioned, while none of them yet was mine.
17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
But how far, O God, beyond measure are your thoughts! How mighty their sum!
18 If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
Should I count, they are more than the sand. When I wake, I am still with you.
19 O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—
Will you slay the wicked, O God? And remove from me the bloodthirsty,
20 who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
who maliciously defy you and take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord? Do I not loathe those who resist you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
With perfect hatred I hate them, I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
Search me, O God, know my heart: test me, and know my thoughts,
24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
and see if guile be in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.
