Psalms 139
1 “To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 Thou indeed knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou understandest my thinking while yet afar off.
You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.
3 My walking and my lying down hast thou limited, and with all my ways art thou acquainted.
You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
4 For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
5 Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
6 Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, I cannot attain unto it.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee away from thy presence?
Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
8 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)
If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I should lift up the wings of the morning-dawn, if I should dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,
10 Even there would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—
12 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].
even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
13 For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will thank thee therefore, that I am [so] fearfully [and] wonderfully made: wonderful are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.
15 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.
My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
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.
17 And how precious are unto me thy thoughts, O God! how mightily great is their sum!
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
18 Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
19 If thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God! and ye men of blood, depart from me.
O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—
20 Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Behold, those that hate thee I ever hate, O Lord; and for those that rise up against thee do I feel loathing.
Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?
22 With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.
23 Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe me, and know my thoughts:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
24 And see if there be a way of perverseness in me, and lead me on the way of eternity.
See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
