< Psalms 139 >
1 “For the leader of the music. A psalm of David.” O LORD! thou hast searched me and known me!
TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH, You have searched me, and know.
2 Thou knowest my sitting-down and my rising-up; Thou understandest my thoughts from afar!
You have known my sitting down, And my rising up, You have attended to my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou seest my path and my lying-down, And art acquainted with all my ways!
You have fanned my path and my lying down, And have been acquainted [with] all my ways.
4 For before the word is upon my tongue, Behold, O LORD! thou knowest it altogether!
For there is not a word in my tongue, Behold, O YHWH, You have known it all!
5 Thou besettest me behind and before, And layest thine hand upon me!
You have besieged me behind and before, And You place Your hand on me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain to it!
Knowledge too wonderful for me, It has been set on high, I am not able for it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit, And whither shall I flee from thy presence?
To where do I go from Your Spirit? And to where do I flee from Your face?
8 If I ascend into heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in the underworld, behold, thou art there! (Sheol )
If I ascend the heavens—You [are] there, And spread out a bed in Sheol, behold, You! (Sheol )
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the remotest parts of the sea,
I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me!
Also there Your hand leads me, And Your right hand holds me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me;” Even the night shall be light about me.
And I say, “Surely darkness bruises me,” Then night [is] light to me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to thee!
Also darkness does not hide from You, And night shines as day, As [is] darkness so [is] light.
13 For thou didst form my reins; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.
For You have possessed my reins, You cover me in my mother’s belly.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvellous are thy works, And this my soul knoweth full well!
I confess You, because I have been fearfully distinguished. Your works [are] wonderful, And my soul is knowing [it] well.
15 My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret. When I was curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth.
My substance was not hid from You, When I was made in secret, Curiously worked in the lower part of earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, while yet unformed, And in thy book was every thing written; My days were appointed before one of them existed.
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.
17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How great is the sum of them!
And how precious Your thoughts have been to me, O God, how great has been their sum!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee!
I recount them! They are more than the sand, I have awoken, and I am still with You.
19 O that thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God! Ye men of blood, depart from me!
Do You slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!
20 For they speak against thee wickedly; Thine enemies utter thy name for falsehood.
Who exchange You for wickedness, Your enemies [are] lifted up to vanity.
21 Do I not hate them that hate thee, O LORD? Do I not abhor them that rise up against thee?
Do I not hate, YHWH, those hating You? And grieve myself with Your withstanders?
22 Yea, I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them mine enemies.
I have hated them [with] perfect hatred, They have become enemies to me.
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 the way of trouble be within me, And lead me in the way everlasting!
And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a perpetual way!