Psalms 139
1 To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:
O YHWH, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O YHWH, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can 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! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee! (Sheol h7585)
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (Sheol h7585)
9 If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there, thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing [them] intently!
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, —when I was made in secret, when I was skilfully figured in the lower parts of the earth.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Mine unfinished substance, thine eyes beheld, and, in thy book, all the parts thereof were written, —the days they should be fashioned! while yet there was not one among them.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O El! how great is the sum of them!
18 I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O Eloah: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.
For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21 Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?
Do not I hate them, O YHWH, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;
Search me, O El, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
