Psalms 139
1 To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:
For the chief musician. A psalm of David. Yahweh, you have examined me, and you know 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 get up; you understand my thoughts from far away.
3 My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.
You observe my path and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.
For before there is a word on my tongue, you know it completely, Yahweh.
5 Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —
Behind me and before me you surround me and place your hand upon me.
6 Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!
Such knowledge is too much for me; it is too high, and I cannot reach it.
7 Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee! (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,
If I fly away on the wings of the morning and go to live in the uttermost parts across the sea,
10 Even there, thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
even there your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold on to me.
11 If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.
If I said, “Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light will become night around me,”
12 Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!
even the darkness would not be dark to you. The night would shine like the day, for the darkness and the light are both alike to you.
13 For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.
You formed my inner parts; you formed me 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 will praise you, for I am wonderfully made. My soul knows this 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.
My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in private, when I was intricately made in the depths 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.
You saw me inside the womb; all the days assigned to me were recorded in your book even before the first one happened.
17 To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!
How precious are your thoughts to me, God! How vast is their sum!
18 I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.
If I tried to count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
19 Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!
If only you would kill the wicked, God; get away from me, you violent men.
20 For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.
They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies tell lies.
21 Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?
Do I not hate those, Yahweh, who hate you? Do I not despise those who rise up against you?
22 With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.
I hate them completely; they have become my enemies.
23 Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;
Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.
See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
