Psalms 139

1 To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:

Yahweh, you have examined me, and you know [everything about] me.

2 Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, 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 My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.

When I travel and when I lie down, you know everything that I do.

4 Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.

Yahweh, even before I say [MTY] anything, you know everything that I am going to say!

5 Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —

You protect me on all sides; you put your hand on me [to protect me with your power] [MTY].

6 Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!

I am not able to understand that you know [everything about me]. That is too great for me to really understand.

7 Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?

(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]

8 If I ascend the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee! (Sheol h7585)

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 mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond 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 Even there, thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

you would be there also, to lead me by your hand, and you would help me.

11 If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.

I could request the darkness to hide me, or I could request the light around me to become darkness,

12 Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!

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, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.

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 thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing [them] intently!

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 substance was not hid from thee, —when I was made in secret, when I was skilfully figured in the lower parts 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 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.

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 To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!

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 I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.

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 Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!

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 For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.

They say wicked/malicious things about you; they slander your name.

21 Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?

Yahweh, I certainly [RHQ] hate those who hate you! And I despise [RHQ] those who rebel against you.

22 With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.

I hate them completely, and I consider that they are my enemies.

23 Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;

God, search my inner being; find out what I am thinking!

24 And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.

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.