Psalm 139

Psalm 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

¹Lord, You have searched me and known me. ^w

²You know when I sit down and when I stand up;

You understand my thoughts from far away. ^x

³You observe my travels and my rest;

You are aware of all my ways. ^y

⁴Before a word is on my tongue,

You know all about it, Lord. ^z

⁵You have encircled me;

You have placed Your hand on me. ^a

⁶This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.

It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. ^b

⁷Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence? ^c

⁸If I go up to heaven, You are there; ^d

if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. ^e

⁹If I live at the eastern horizon

or settle at the western limits, ^f

¹⁰even there Your hand will lead me;

Your right hand will hold on to me. ^g

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,

and the light around me will be night” ^h—

¹²even the darkness is not dark to You.

The night shines like the day;

darkness and light are alike to You. ⁱ

¹³For it was You who created my inward parts; ^j

You knit me together in my mother’s womb. ^k

¹⁴I will praise You

because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. ^lm

Your works are wonderful,

and I know this very well. ⁿ

¹⁵My bones were not hidden from You

when I was made in secret,

when I was formed in the depths of the earth. ^o

¹⁶Your eyes saw me when I was formless;

all my days were written in Your book and planned

before a single one of them began. ^p

¹⁷God, how difficult ^qYour thoughts are

for me to comprehend;

how vast their sum is!

¹⁸If I counted them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand; ^r

when I wake up, ^sI am still with You. ^t

¹⁹God, if only You would kill the wicked—

you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me ^u—

²⁰who invoke You deceitfully.

Your enemies swear by You falsely. ^v

²¹Lord, don’t I hate those who hate You,

and detest those who rebel against You?

²²I hate them with extreme hatred;

I consider them my enemies. ^w

²³Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns. ^x

²⁴See if there is any offensive ^yway in me;

lead me in the everlasting way. ^z