Psalms 139
1 “To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
For the chief musician. A psalm of David. Yahweh, you have examined me, and you know 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 down and when I get up; you understand my thoughts from far away.
3 My walking and my lying down hast thou limited, and with all my ways art thou acquainted.
You observe my path and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
For before there is a word on my tongue, you know it completely, Yahweh.
5 Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
Behind me and before me you surround me and place 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 much for me; it is too high, and I cannot reach it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee away from thy presence?
Where can I go from 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 up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, 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 fly away on the wings of the morning and go to live in the uttermost parts across the sea,
10 Even there would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
even there your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold on to me.
11 If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
If I said, “Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light will 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 would not be dark to you. The night would shine like the day, for the darkness and the light are both alike to you.
13 For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
You formed my inner parts; you formed me 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 will praise you, for I am wonderfully made. My soul knows 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 bones were not hidden from you when I was made in private, when I was intricately made 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.
You saw me inside the womb; all the days assigned to me were recorded in your book even before the first one happened.
17 And how precious are unto me thy thoughts, O God! how mightily great is their sum!
How precious are your thoughts to me, 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 tried to count them, they would be more in number than the sand. 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.
If only you would kill the wicked, God; get away from me, you violent men.
20 Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies tell lies.
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, Yahweh, who hate you? Do I not despise those who rise up against you?
22 With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
I hate them completely; they have become my enemies.
23 Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe me, and know my thoughts:
Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
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 wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
