Psalms 139

1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known [me].

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

2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up rising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

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 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways.

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

4 For [there is] not a word on my tongue, [but] lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

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

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

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

6 [Such] knowledge [is] too wonderful for me; it is 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 shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

(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 into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there]. (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 take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts 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 Even there shall thy hand 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 the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

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

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].

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 hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

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 will praise thee: for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: wonderful [are] thy works; and [that] my soul well knoweth.

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, [and] curiously formed in the lowest 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 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.

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 How precious also are thy thoughts to me, O God! how great is the sum 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 [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I 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 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

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 against thee wickedly, [and] thy enemies take [thy name] in vain.

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

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

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

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them my enemies.

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

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts:

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

24 And see if [there is any] wicked way 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.