Psalm 139
Legacy Standard Bible
Where Can I Go from Your Spirit?
For the choir director. Of David. A Psalm.
139 O Yahweh, You have (A)searched me and known me.
2 You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;
You (C)understand my thought from afar.
3 You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Yahweh, You (E)know it all.
5 You have (F)enclosed me behind and before,
And You have (G)put Your hand upon me.
6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 (J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.
9 If I lift up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will (M)lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the (N)darkness will (O)bruise me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the (P)darkness is not too dark for You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
(Q)Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You (R)formed my [f]inward parts;
You (S)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [g]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
(T)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [h](U)frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And (V)intricately woven in the (W)depths of the earth;
16 Your (X)eyes have seen my unshaped substance;
And in (Y)Your book all of them were written
The (Z)days that were formed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious are Your (AA)thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would (AB)outnumber the sand.
When (AC)I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh that You would (AD)slay the wicked, O God!
(AE)O (AF)men of bloodshed, depart from me.
20 For they (AG)speak [i]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [j](AH)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (AI)hate those who hate You, O Yahweh?
And do I not (AJ)revile those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
23 (AK)Search me, O God, and know my heart;
(AL)Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [k](AM)hurtful way in me,
And (AN)lead me in the (AO)everlasting way.
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:2 Lit my sitting
- Psalm 139:2 Lit my rising
- Psalm 139:3 Lit winnow
- Psalm 139:3 Or journeying
- Psalm 139:4 Lit When there is not
- Psalm 139:13 Lit kidneys
- Psalm 139:14 Some ancient versions You are fearfully wonderful
- Psalm 139:15 Lit bones were
- Psalm 139:20 Or of
- Psalm 139:20 Some mss lift themselves up against You
- Psalm 139:24 Lit way of pain
Psalm 139
Revised Standard Version
The Inescapable God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me!
2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up;
thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down,
and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou dost beset me behind and before,
and layest thy hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, thou art there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
9 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.
11 If I say, “Let only darkness cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to thee,
the night is bright as the day;
for darkness is as light with thee.
13 For thou didst form my inward parts,
thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.[a]
Wonderful are thy works!
Thou knowest me right well;
15 my frame was not hidden from thee,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance;
in thy book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
When I awake, I am still with thee.[b]
19 O that thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God,
and that men of blood would depart from me,
20 men who maliciously defy thee,
who lift themselves up against thee for evil![c]
21 Do I not hate them that hate thee, O Lord?
And do I not loathe them that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any wicked[d] way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting![e]
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:14 Cn Compare Gk Syr Jerome: Heb fearful things I am wonderful
- Psalm 139:18 Or were I to come to the end I would still be with thee
- Psalm 139:20 Cn: Heb uncertain
- Psalm 139:24 Heb hurtful
- Psalm 139:24 Or the ancient way. Compare Jer 6.16
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