Psalms 139
1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH, You have searched me, and know.
For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 You have known my sitting down, And my rising up, You have attended to my thoughts from afar.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 You have fanned my path and my lying down, And have been acquainted [with] all my ways.
Thou measurest my going about and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Behold, O YHWH, You have known it all!
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.
5 You have besieged me behind and before, And You place Your hand on me.
Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.
6 Knowledge too wonderful for me, It has been set on high, I am not able for it.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 To where do I go from Your Spirit? And to where do I flee from Your face?
Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
8 If I ascend the heavens—You [are] there, And spread out a bed in Sheol, behold, You! (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in the nether-world, behold, Thou art there. (Sheol h7585)
9 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Also there Your hand leads me, And Your right hand holds me.
Even there would Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand would hold me.
11 And I say, “Surely darkness bruises me,” Then night [is] light to me.
And if I say: 'Surely the darkness shall envelop me, and the light about me shall be night';
12 Also darkness does not hide from You, And night shines as day, As [is] darkness so [is] light.
Even the darkness is not too dark for Thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness is even as the light.
13 For You have possessed my reins, You cover me in my mother’s belly.
For Thou hast made my reins; Thou hast knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I confess You, because I have been fearfully distinguished. Your works [are] wonderful, And my soul is knowing [it] well.
I will give thanks unto Thee, for I am 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, Curiously worked in the lower part of earth.
My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, And all of them are written on Your scroll, The days they were formed—And not one among them.
Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance, and in Thy book they were all written — even the days that were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 And how precious Your thoughts have been to me, O God, how great has been their sum!
How weighty also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 I recount them! They are more than the sand, I have awoken, and I am still with You.
If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand; were I to come to the end of them, I would still be with Thee.
19 Do You slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!
If Thou but wouldest slay the wicked, O God — depart from me therefore, ye men of blood;
20 Who exchange You for wickedness, Your enemies [are] lifted up to vanity.
Who utter Thy name with wicked thought, they take it for falsehood, even Thine enemies —
21 Do I not hate, YHWH, those hating You? And grieve myself with Your withstanders?
Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And do not I strive with those that rise up against Thee?
22 I have hated them [with] perfect hatred, They have become enemies to me.
I hate them with utmost hatred; I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,
Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts;
24 And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a perpetual way!
And see if there be any way in me that is grievous, and lead me in the way everlasting.
