Psalms 139
1 For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O Lord, you search and know me;
Yahweh, you have examined me, and you know [everything about] me.
2 when I sit, when I rise you know it, you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You know when I sit down and when I stand up. [Even though you are] far away from me, you know what I am thinking.
3 When I walk, when I lie you sift it, familiar with all my ways.
When I travel and when I lie down, you know everything that I do.
4 There is not a word on my tongue, but see! Lord, you know it all.
Yahweh, even before I say [MTY] anything, you know everything that I am going to say!
5 Behind and before you beset me, upon me you lay your hand.
You protect me on all sides; you put your hand on me [to protect me with your power] [MTY].
6 It’s too wonderful for me to know too lofty I cannot attain it.
I am not able to understand that you know [everything about me]. That is too great for me to really understand.
7 Whither shall I go from your spirit? Or whither shall I flee from your face?
(Where could I go to escape from your Spirit?/I could not go anywhere to escape from your Spirit.) [RHQ] (Where could I go to get away from you?/I could not go anywhere to get away from you.) [RHQ]
If I went up to heaven, you would be there. If I lay down in the place where the dead people are, you would be there. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I lift up the wings of the morning and fly to the end of the sea,
If I had wings and flew very far east [MTY], or if I flew west and made a place to live [on an island] in the ocean,
10 there also your hand would grasp me, and your right hand take hold of me.
you would be there also, to lead me by your hand, and you would help me.
11 If I say, ‘Let the darkness cover me, and night be the light about me,’
I could request the darkness to hide me, or I could request the light around me to become darkness,
12 The dark is not dark for you, but night is as light as the day.
but even [if that happened], the darkness would not be darkness for you! For you, the night is [as bright] as the daytime is, because for you, daylight and darkness are (not different/the same).
13 For you did put me together; in my mother’s womb you did weave me.
You created [all] the parts of my body; you put [the parts of] my body together when I was still in my mother’s womb.
14 I give you praise for my fashioning so full of awe, so wonderful. Your works are wonderful. You knew me right well;
I praise you because you made my [body in a very] awesome and wonderful way. Everything that you do is amazing! I know that very well.
15 my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and woven in the depths of the earth.
When my body was being formed, while it was being put together where no one else could see it, you saw it!
16 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.
You saw me before I was born. You wrote in your book the number of days that you had decided that I would live. You did that before any of those days had [even] started!
17 But how far, O God, beyond measure are your thoughts! How mighty their sum!
God, what you think about me is very precious (OR, is very hard to understand). There is a great number of things that you think about.
18 Should I count, they are more than the sand. When I wake, I am still with you.
If I could count them, [I would see that] they are more than the grains of sand [at the seashore]. And when I wake up, I am still with you [and I know that there are still more of your thoughts about me to count].
19 Will you slay the wicked, O God? And remove from me the bloodthirsty,
God, I desire that you would kill all the wicked people! And I wish that violent [MTY] men would (leave/go away from) me.
20 who maliciously defy you and take your name in vain.
They say wicked/malicious things about you; they slander your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord? Do I not loathe those who resist you?
Yahweh, I certainly [RHQ] hate those who hate you! And I despise [RHQ] those who rebel against you.
22 With perfect hatred I hate them, I count them my enemies.
I hate them completely, and I consider that they are my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, know my heart: test me, and know my thoughts,
God, search my inner being; find out what I am thinking!
24 and see if guile be in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.
Find out whether there is anything evil in my [inner being], and lead me along the road [that leads to my being with you] forever.
