Psalms 139
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. O Lord, thou hast tried me and knowen me.
“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
2 Thou knowest my sitting and my rising: thou vnderstandest my thought afarre off.
Thou indeed knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou understandest my thinking while yet afar off.
3 Thou compassest my pathes, and my lying downe, and art accustomed to all my wayes.
My walking and my lying down hast thou limited, and with all my ways art thou acquainted.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but loe, thou knowest it wholy, O Lord.
For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
5 Thou holdest mee straite behinde and before, and layest thine hand vpon me.
Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
6 Thy knowledge is too wonderfull for mee: it is so high that I cannot attaine vnto it.
Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I goe from thy Spirite? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee away from thy presence?
If I should ascend into heaven, thou art there; and if I should make my bed in the nether world, behold, thou art there. (Sheol h7585)
9 Let mee take the winges of the morning, and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea:
If I should lift up the wings of the morning-dawn, if I should dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:
10 Yet thither shall thine hand leade me, and thy right hand holde me.
Even there would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
11 If I say, Yet the darkenes shall hide me, euen the night shalbe light about me.
If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
12 Yea, the darkenes hideth not from thee: but the night shineth as the day: the darkenes and light are both alike.
Yet even darkness can obscure nothing from thee; but the night will shine like the day; both the darkness and the light are alike [to thee].
13 For thou hast possessed my reines: thou hast couered me in my mothers wombe.
For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee, for I am fearefully and wonderously made: marueilous are thy workes, and my soule knoweth it well.
I will thank thee therefore, that I am [so] fearfully [and] wonderfully made: wonderful are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My bones are not hid from thee, though I was made in a secret place, and facioned beneath in the earth.
My being was not concealed from thee, when I was made in secret, when I was [so to say] embroidered in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see me, when I was without forme: for in thy booke were all things written, which in continuance were facioned, when there was none of them before.
My undeveloped substance did thy eyes see; and in thy book were all of them written down—the days which have been formed, while yet not one of them was here.
17 Howe deare therefore are thy thoughtes vnto me, O God! how great is ye summe of them!
And how precious are unto me thy thoughts, O God! how mightily great is their sum!
18 If I should count them, they are moe then the sand: when I wake, I am still with thee.
Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
19 Oh that thou wouldest slay, O God, the wicked and bloody men, to whom I say, Depart ye from mee:
If thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God! and ye men of blood, depart from me.
20 Which speake wickedly of thee, and being thine enemies are lifted vp in vaine.
Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
21 Doe not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and doe not I earnestly contend with those that rise vp against thee?
Behold, those that hate thee I ever hate, O Lord; and for those that rise up against thee do I feel loathing.
22 I hate them with an vnfained hatred, as they were mine vtter enemies.
With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
23 Try mee, O God, and knowe mine heart: prooue me and know my thoughtes,
Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe me, and know my thoughts:
24 And consider if there be any way of wickednes in me, and leade me in the way for euer.
And see if there be a way of perverseness in me, and lead me on the way of eternity.
