Psalms 139
1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.
Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:
3 You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.
5 You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!
7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?
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 the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee! (Sheol h7585)
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,
If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,
10 even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.
Even there, thy hand shall 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, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is 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.
Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!
13 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.
14 I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.
I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing [them] intently!
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, when I was skilfully figured in the lower 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.
Mine unfinished substance, thine eyes beheld, and, in thy book, all the parts thereof were written, —the days they should be fashioned! while yet there was not one among them.
17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads 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.
I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.
19 O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—
Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!
20 who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?
Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;
24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.
