God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, (A)You have searched me and known me.
(B)You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You (C)understand my thought afar off.
(D)You [a]comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, (E)You know it altogether.
You have [b]hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
(F)Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

(G)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
(H)If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
(I)If I make my bed in [c]hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall [d]fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, (J)the darkness [e]shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You [f]covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for [g]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 (K)My [h]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 (L)How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would (M)slay the wicked, O God!
(N)Depart from me, therefore, you [i]bloodthirsty men.
20 For they (O)speak against You wickedly;
[j]Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 (P)Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with [k]perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 (Q)Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And (R)lead me in the way everlasting.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:3 Lit. winnow
  2. Psalm 139:5 enclosed
  3. Psalm 139:8 Or Sheol
  4. Psalm 139:11 Vg., Symmachus cover
  5. Psalm 139:12 Lit. is not dark
  6. Psalm 139:13 wove
  7. Psalm 139:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. You are fearfully wonderful
  8. Psalm 139:15 Lit. bones were
  9. Psalm 139:19 Lit. men of bloodshed
  10. Psalm 139:20 LXX, Vg. They take Your cities in vain
  11. Psalm 139:22 complete

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me,(A) Lord,
    and you know(B) me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
    you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
You hem me in(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
    too lofty(J) for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed(M) in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(N)
    your right hand(O) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;(Q)
    you knit me together(R) in my mother’s womb.(S)
14 I praise you(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(U)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(W) in the depths of the earth.(X)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](Z) God!(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(AC)
    when I awake,(AD) I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(AE)
    Away from me,(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!(AG)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries(AH) misuse your name.(AI)
21 Do I not hate those(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.(AL)
23 Search me,(AM) God, and know my heart;(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(AO) in me,
    and lead me(AP) in the way everlasting.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me

A Song of God’s Majesty and Love

(A)A Praise of David.

145 I will [a]extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
(B)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And (C)His greatness is [b]unsearchable.

(D)One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
[c]I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And [d]on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
They shall [e]utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.

(E)The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
(F)The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

10 (G)All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 (H)Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all [f]generations.

14 The Lord upholds all who fall,
And (I)raises up all who are bowed down.
15 (J)The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And (K)You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand
(L)And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
18 (M)The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him (N)in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
20 (O)The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 145:1 praise
  2. Psalm 145:3 Beyond our understanding
  3. Psalm 145:5 So with MT, Tg.; DSS, LXX, Syr., Vg. They
  4. Psalm 145:5 Lit. on the words of Your wondrous works
  5. Psalm 145:7 eagerly utter, lit. bubble forth
  6. Psalm 145:13 So with MT, Tg.; DSS, LXX, Syr., Vg. add The Lord is faithful in all His words, And holy in all His works

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you,(A) my God the King;(B)
    I will praise your name(C) for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise(D) you
    and extol your name(E) for ever and ever.

Great(F) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(G)
    his greatness no one can fathom.(H)
One generation(I) commends your works to another;
    they tell(J) of your mighty acts.(K)
They speak of the glorious splendor(L) of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b](M)
They tell(N) of the power of your awesome works—(O)
    and I will proclaim(P) your great deeds.(Q)
They celebrate your abundant goodness(R)
    and joyfully sing(S) of your righteousness.(T)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,(U)
    slow to anger and rich in love.(V)

The Lord is good(W) to all;
    he has compassion(X) on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you,(Y) Lord;
    your faithful people extol(Z) you.(AA)
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom(AB)
    and speak of your might,(AC)
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts(AD)
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.(AE)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,(AF)
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy(AG) in all he promises(AH)
    and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds(AI) all who fall
    and lifts up all(AJ) who are bowed down.(AK)
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food(AL) at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
    and satisfy the desires(AM) of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous(AN) in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.(AO)
18 The Lord is near(AP) to all who call on him,(AQ)
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires(AR) of those who fear him;(AS)
    he hears their cry(AT) and saves them.(AU)
20 The Lord watches over(AV) all who love him,(AW)
    but all the wicked he will destroy.(AX)

21 My mouth will speak(AY) in praise of the Lord.
    Let every creature(AZ) praise his holy name(BA)
    for ever and ever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
  3. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.

Praise to the Lord from Creation

148 Praise[a] the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, (A)you heavens of heavens,
And (B)you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For (C)He commanded and they were created.
(D)He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
(E)You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
(F)Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His (G)name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
14 And He (H)has exalted the [b]horn of His people,
The praise of (I)all His saints—
Of the children of Israel,
(J)A people near to Him.

[c]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 148:14 Strength or dominion
  3. Psalm 148:14 Heb. Hallelujah

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(D)
Praise him, sun(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(F)
    and you waters above the skies.(G)

Let them praise the name(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command(I) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(J) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(L) and all ocean depths,(M)
lightning and hail,(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(O)
you mountains and all hills,(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(T) is above the earth and the heavens.(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[b](V)
    the praise(W) of all his faithful servants,(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(Y)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  2. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Let All Things Praise the Lord

150 Praise(A)[a] the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty [b]firmament!

Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent (B)greatness!

Praise Him with the sound of the [c]trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

[d]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 150:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 150:1 expanse of heaven
  3. Psalm 150:3 cornet
  4. Psalm 150:6 Heb. Hallelujah

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise God in his sanctuary;(B)
    praise him in his mighty heavens.(C)
Praise him for his acts of power;(D)
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.(E)
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,(F)
    praise him with the harp and lyre,(G)
praise him with timbrel and dancing,(H)
    praise him with the strings(I) and pipe,(J)
praise him with the clash of cymbals,(K)
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything(L) that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 150:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 6