Psalms 139
1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH, You have searched me, and know.
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O Lord, you search and know me;
2 You have known my sitting down, And my rising up, You have attended to my thoughts from afar.
when I sit, when I rise you know it, you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You have fanned my path and my lying down, And have been acquainted [with] all my ways.
When I walk, when I lie you sift it, familiar with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Behold, O YHWH, You have known it all!
There is not a word on my tongue, but see! Lord, you know it all.
5 You have besieged me behind and before, And You place Your hand on me.
Behind and before you beset me, upon me you lay your hand.
6 Knowledge too wonderful for me, It has been set on high, I am not able for it.
It’s too wonderful for me to know too lofty I cannot attain it.
7 To where do I go from Your Spirit? And to where do I flee from Your face?
Whither shall I go from your spirit? Or whither shall I flee from your face?
8 If I ascend the heavens—You [are] there, And spread out a bed in Sheol, behold, You! (Sheol h7585)
If I climb up to heaven, you are there: or make Sheol my bed, you are there. (Sheol h7585)
9 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
If I lift up the wings of the morning and fly to the end of the sea,
10 Also there Your hand leads me, And Your right hand holds me.
there also your hand would grasp me, and your right hand take hold of me.
11 And I say, “Surely darkness bruises me,” Then night [is] light to me.
If I say, ‘Let the darkness cover me, and night be the light about me,’
12 Also darkness does not hide from You, And night shines as day, As [is] darkness so [is] light.
The dark is not dark for you, but night is as light as the day.
13 For You have possessed my reins, You cover me in my mother’s belly.
For you did put me together; in my mother’s womb you did weave me.
14 I confess You, because I have been fearfully distinguished. Your works [are] wonderful, And my soul is knowing [it] well.
I give you praise for my fashioning so full of awe, so wonderful. Your works are wonderful. You knew me 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 bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and woven in the depths 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.
Your eyes saw all my days: they stood on your book every one written down, before they were fashioned, while none of them yet was mine.
17 And how precious Your thoughts have been to me, O God, how great has been their sum!
But how far, O God, beyond measure are your thoughts! How mighty their sum!
18 I recount them! They are more than the sand, I have awoken, and I am still with You.
Should I count, they are more than the sand. When I wake, I am still with you.
19 Do You slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!
Will you slay the wicked, O God? And remove from me the bloodthirsty,
20 Who exchange You for wickedness, Your enemies [are] lifted up to vanity.
who maliciously defy you and take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate, YHWH, those hating You? And grieve myself with Your withstanders?
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord? Do I not loathe those who resist you?
22 I have hated them [with] perfect hatred, They have become enemies to me.
With perfect hatred I hate them, I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,
Search me, O God, know my heart: test 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 guile be in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.
