Psalms 139
1 To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody. O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:
“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O Lord! thou hast searched me through, and thou knowest [me].
2 Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:
Thou indeed knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou understandest my thinking while yet afar off.
3 My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.
My walking and my lying down hast thou limited, and with all my ways art thou acquainted.
4 Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.
For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.
5 Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: —
Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand.
6 Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!
Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, 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 away 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 should ascend into heaven, thou art there; and if I should make my bed in the nether world, 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 should lift up the wings of the morning-dawn, if I should 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 would thy hand lead me, and thy right hand would seize hold of me.
11 If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.
If I said, Surely darkness shall enshroud me, and into night [be turned] the light about me:
12 Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, —but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!
Yet even darkness can obscure nothing from thee; but the night will shine like the day; both the darkness and the light are 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 possessest 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 thank thee therefore, that I am [so] 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, when I was skilfully figured in the lower parts of the earth.
My being was not concealed from thee, when I was made in secret, when I was [so to say] embroidered 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.
My undeveloped substance did thy eyes see; and in thy book were all of them written down—the days which have been formed, while yet not one of them was here.
17 To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!
And how precious are unto me thy thoughts, O God! how mightily great is their sum!
18 I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.
Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
19 Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!
If thou wouldst but slay the wicked, O God! and ye men of blood, depart from me.
20 For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.
Who speak of thee for a wicked end, thy enemies, that bear [thy name] for a vain purpose.
21 Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?
Behold, those that hate thee I ever hate, O Lord; and for those that rise up against thee do I feel loathing.
22 With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.
With the utmost hatred do I hate them: enemies are they become unto me.
23 Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;
Search me through, O God, and know my heart; probe 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 a way of perverseness in me, and lead me on the way of eternity.
