Psalms 139
1 To the Overseer. — A Psalm by David. Jehovah, Thou hast searched me, and knowest.
For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou — Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts from afar.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And [with] all my ways hast been acquainted.
Thou measurest my going about and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.
5 Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.
Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.
6 Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do I flee?
Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
8 If I ascend the heavens — there Thou [art], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee! (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in the nether-world, behold, Thou art there. (Sheol h7585)
9 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me.
Even there would Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand would hold me.
11 And I say, 'Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night [is] light to me.
And if I say: 'Surely the darkness shall envelop me, and the light about me shall be night';
12 Also darkness hideth not from Thee, And night as day shineth, as [is] darkness so [is] light.
Even the darkness is not too dark for Thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness is even as the light.
13 For Thou — Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother's belly.
For Thou hast made my reins; Thou hast knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful [are] Thy works, And my soul is knowing [it] well.
I will give thanks unto Thee, for I am 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, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth.
My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed — And not one among them.
Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance, and in Thy book they were all written — even the days that were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum!
How weighty also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee.
If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand; were I to come to the end of them, I would still be with Thee.
19 Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!
If Thou but wouldest slay the wicked, O God — depart from me therefore, ye men of blood;
20 Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity [are] Thine enemies.
Who utter Thy name with wicked thought, they take it for falsehood, even Thine enemies —
21 Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee? And with Thy withstanders grieve myself?
Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And do not I strive with those that rise up against Thee?
22 [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me.
I hate them with utmost hatred; I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,
Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts;
24 And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!
And see if there be any way in me that is grievous, and lead me in the way everlasting.
