Psalm, 139

For the director. Of David. A melody.

¹ O Jehovah, you have searched through me, and you know me.

² You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar.

³ You observe^*1 me when I travel and when I lie down; You are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ There is not a word on my tongue, But look! O Jehovah, you already know it well.

⁵ Behind and before me, you surround me; And you lay your hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is beyond my comprehension.^*1 It is too high for me to reach.^*2

⁷ Where can I escape from your spirit, And where can I run away from your face?

⁸ If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there, And if I were to make my bed in the Grave,^*1 look! you would be there.

⁹ If I would fly away with the wings of the dawn To reside by the most remote sea,

¹⁰ Even there your hand would lead me And your right hand would take hold of me.

¹¹ If I say: “Surely darkness will conceal me!” Then the night around me would become light.

¹² Even the darkness would not be too dark for you, But night would be as bright as the day; Darkness is the same as light to you.

¹³ For you produced my kidneys; You kept me screened off^*1 in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because in an awe-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know^*1 this very well.

¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you When I was made in secret, When I was woven in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶ Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; All its parts were written in your book Regarding the days when they were formed, Before any of them existed.

¹⁷ So to me, how precious your thoughts are! O God, how vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸ If I try to count them, they outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.^*1

¹⁹ O God, if only you would slay the wicked! Then the violent^*1 men would depart from me,

²⁰ Those who say things against you with evil intent;^*1 They are your adversaries who take up your name in a worthless way.

²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O Jehovah, And loathe those who revolt against you?

²² I have nothing but hatred for them; They have become real enemies to me.

²³ Search through me, O God, and know my heart. Examine me, and know my anxious^*1 thoughts.

²⁴ See whether there is in me any harmful way, And lead me in the way of eternity.