Psalms 139
1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH, You have searched me, and know.
To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:
2 You have known my sitting down, And my rising up, You have attended to my thoughts from afar.
Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:
3 You have fanned my path and my lying down, And have been acquainted [with] all my ways.
My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Behold, O YHWH, You have known it all!
Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.
5 You have besieged me behind and before, And You place Your hand on me.
Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —
6 Knowledge too wonderful for me, It has been set on high, I am not able for it.
Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!
7 To where do I go from Your Spirit? And to where do I flee from Your face?
Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?
8 If I ascend the heavens—You [are] there, And spread out a bed in Sheol, behold, You! (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee! (Sheol h7585)
9 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,
10 Also there Your hand leads me, And Your right hand holds me.
Even there, thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 And I say, “Surely darkness bruises me,” Then night [is] light to me.
If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.
12 Also darkness does not hide from You, And night shines as day, As [is] darkness so [is] light.
Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!
13 For You have possessed my reins, You cover me in my mother’s belly.
For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.
14 I confess You, because I have been fearfully distinguished. Your works [are] wonderful, And my soul is knowing [it] well.
I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing [them] intently!
15 My substance was not hid from You, When I was made in secret, Curiously worked in the lower part of earth.
My substance was not hid from thee, —when I was made in secret, when I was skilfully figured in the lower 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.
Mine unfinished substance, thine eyes beheld, and, in thy book, all the parts thereof were written, —the days they should be fashioned! while yet there was not one among them.
17 And how precious Your thoughts have been to me, O God, how great has been their sum!
To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!
18 I recount them! They are more than the sand, I have awoken, and I am still with You.
I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.
19 Do You slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!
Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!
20 Who exchange You for wickedness, Your enemies [are] lifted up to vanity.
For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.
21 Do I not hate, YHWH, those hating You? And grieve myself with Your withstanders?
Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?
22 I have hated them [with] perfect hatred, They have become enemies to me.
With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,
Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;
24 And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a perpetual way!
And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.
