Psalms 139
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known [me].
“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up rising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou indeed knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou understandest my thinking while yet afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways.
My walking and my lying down hast thou limited, and with all my ways art thou acquainted.
4 For [there is] not a word on my tongue, [but] lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.
Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
6 [Such] knowledge [is] too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot [attain] to it.
Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee away from thy presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there]. (Sheol h7585)
If I should ascend into heaven, thou art there; and if I should make my bed in the nether world, behold, thou art there. (Sheol h7585)
9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
If I should lift up the wings of the morning-dawn, if I should dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Even there would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
12 Yes, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee].
Yet even darkness can obscure nothing from thee; but the night will shine like the day; both the darkness and the light are alike [to thee].
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
For thou possessest my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee: for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: wonderful [are] thy works; and [that] my soul well knoweth.
I will thank thee therefore, that I am [so] fearfully [and] wonderfully made: wonderful are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, [and] curiously formed in the lowest parts of the earth.
My being was not concealed from thee, when I was made in secret, when I was [so to say] embroidered in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thy eyes saw my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
My undeveloped substance did thy eyes see; and in thy book were all of them written down—the days which have been formed, while yet not one of them was here.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts to me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
And how precious are unto me thy thoughts, O God! how mightily great is their sum!
18 [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
If thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God! and ye men of blood, depart from me.
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, [and] thy enemies take [thy name] in vain.
Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
Behold, those that hate thee I ever hate, O Lord; and for those that rise up against thee do I feel loathing.
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them my enemies.
With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts:
Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if [there is any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
And see if there be a way of perverseness in me, and lead me on the way of eternity.
