< Psalms 139 >

1 O lord, you have searched me, and known me.
TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH, You have searched me, and know.
2 You know my sitting down and mine rising up, you understand my thought far off.
You have known my sitting down, And my rising up, You have attended to my thoughts from afar.
3 You compass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
You have fanned my path and my lying down, And have been acquainted [with] all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether.
For there is not a word in my tongue, Behold, O YHWH, You have known it all!
5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me.
You have besieged me behind and before, And You place Your hand on me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Knowledge too wonderful for me, It has been set on high, I am not able for it.
7 Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence?
To where do I go from Your Spirit? And to where do I flee from Your face?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend the heavens—You [are] there, And spread out a bed in Sheol, behold, You! (Sheol h7585)
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
10 Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Also there Your hand leads me, And Your right hand holds me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
And I say, “Surely darkness bruises me,” Then night [is] light to me.
12 Yea, the darkness hides not from you; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to you.
Also darkness does not hide from You, And night shines as day, As [is] darkness so [is] light.
13 For you have possessed my reins: you have covered me in my mother's womb.
For You have possessed my reins, You cover me in my mother’s belly.
14 I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are your works; and that my soul knows right well.
I confess You, because I have been fearfully distinguished. Your works [are] wonderful, And my soul is knowing [it] well.
15 My substance was not hid from you, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the low parts of the earth.
My substance was not hid from You, When I was made in secret, Curiously worked in the lower part of earth.
16 your eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in your book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance, And all of them are written on Your scroll, The days they were formed—And not one among them.
17 How precious also are your thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
And how precious Your thoughts have been to me, O God, how great has been their sum!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with you.
I recount them! They are more than the sand, I have awoken, and I am still with You.
19 Surely you will slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, all of you bloody men.
Do You slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!
20 For they speak against you wickedly, and your enemies take your name in vain.
Who exchange You for wickedness, Your enemies [are] lifted up to vanity.
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate you? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against you?
Do I not hate, YHWH, those hating You? And grieve myself with Your withstanders?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
I have hated them [with] perfect hatred, They have become enemies to me.
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 there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a perpetual way!

< Psalms 139 >