Psalms 139
1 O lord, you have searched me, and known me.
“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
2 You know my sitting down and mine rising up, you understand my thought far off.
Thou indeed knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou understandest my thinking while yet afar off.
3 You compass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
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, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether.
For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me.
Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee away from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. (Sheol h7585)
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 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost 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 Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Even there would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
12 Yea, the darkness hides not from you; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to you.
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 you have possessed my reins: you have covered me in my mother's womb.
For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are your works; and that my soul knows right 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 substance was not hid from you, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the low parts of 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 your eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in your book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
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 How precious also are your thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum 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 more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with you.
Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
19 Surely you will slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, all of you bloody men.
If thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God! and ye men of blood, depart from me.
20 For they speak against you wickedly, and your enemies take your name in vain.
Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate you? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against you?
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 perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
And see if there be a way of perverseness in me, and lead me on the way of eternity.
