Psalms 139

1 To the Overseer. — A Psalm by David. Jehovah, Thou hast searched me, and knowest.

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

2 Thou — Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts 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 Thou hast fanned, And [with] all my ways hast been acquainted.

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

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!

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

5 Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on 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, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.

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

7 Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do 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], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, 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 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part 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 Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me.

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

11 And I say, 'Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night [is] light to me.

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

12 Also darkness hideth not from Thee, And night as day shineth, as [is] darkness so [is] 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 — Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother's belly.

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 confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful [are] Thy works, And my soul is knowing [it] well.

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, Curiously wrought in the lower part of 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 unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed — And 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 And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum!

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 recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and 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 Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside 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 Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity [are] Thine enemies.

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

21 Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee? And with Thy withstanders grieve myself?

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

22 [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me.

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 a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!

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.