Psalms 139
1 [For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.] YHWH, you have searched me, and you know me.
“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.
Thou indeed knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou understandest my thinking while yet afar off.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
My walking and my lying down hast thou limited, and with all my ways art thou acquainted.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, look, YHWH, you know it altogether.
For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
5 You encircle me behind and in front, and you place your hand upon me.
Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
6 This knowledge is beyond me. It's lofty. I can't attain it.
Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee away from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, look, you are there. (Sheol h7585)
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)
9 If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea;
If I should lift up the wings of the morning-dawn, if I should dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:
10 Even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.
Even there would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; the light around me will be night;"
If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
12 even the darkness doesn't hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
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].
13 For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb.
For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will give thanks to you, for I am awesomely and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and my soul knows that very well.
I will thank thee therefore, that I am [so] fearfully [and] wonderfully made: wonderful are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My frame wasn't hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth.
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.
16 Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.
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.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them.
And how precious are unto me thy thoughts, O God! how mightily great is their sum!
18 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
19 If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men.
If thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God! and ye men of blood, depart from me.
20 For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.
Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
21 YHWH, do I not hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?
Behold, those that hate thee I ever hate, O Lord; and for those that rise up against thee do I feel loathing.
22 I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies.
With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.
Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe me, and know my thoughts:
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
And see if there be a way of perverseness in me, and lead me on the way of eternity.
