Psalms 139

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.

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

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive 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 You search out my path and my lying down, and are 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 behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.

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

5 You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.

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

6 This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it.

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

7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your 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 up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are 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 dawn, and settle 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 your hand will lead me, and your right hand will 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 will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,”

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

12 even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.

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 you formed my inmost being. You knit me together 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 give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very 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 frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths 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 Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were 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 to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is 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 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.

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 If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty 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 you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.

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

21 Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?

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. They have become my enemies.

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

23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

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

24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

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.