Psalms 139
1 To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:
Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me:
2 Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:
Thou hast know my sitting down, and my rising up.
3 My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.
Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.
4 Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.
And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.
5 Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —
Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.
6 Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!
Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it.
7 Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face?
8 If I ascend the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee! (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,
If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:
10 Even there, thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Even there also shall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.
And I said: Perhaps darkness shall cover me: and night shall be my light in my pleasures.
12 Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!
But darkness shall not be dark to thee, and night shall be light as day: the darkness thereof, and the light thereof are alike to thee.
13 For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb.
14 I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing [them] intently!
I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.
15 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.
My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret: and my substance in the lower parts of the earth.
16 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.
Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them.
17 To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!
But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened.
18 I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.
I will number them, and they shall be multiplied above the sand: I rose up and am still with thee.
19 Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!
If thou wilt kill the wicked, O God: ye men of blood, depart from me:
20 For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.
Because you say in thought: They shall receive thy cities in vain.
21 Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?
Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hated thee: and pine away because of thy enemies?
22 With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.
I have hated them with a perfect hatred: and they are become enemies to me.
23 Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;
Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths.
24 And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.
And see if there be in me the way of iniquity: and lead me in the eternal way.
