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Psalm 138-140
English Standard Version
Psalm 138-140
English Standard Version
Give Thanks to the Lord
Of David.
138 (A)I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before (B)the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down (C)toward your (D)holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.[a]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.[b]
4 (E)All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of (F)the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 (G)For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 (H)Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you (I)preserve my life;
you (J)stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your (K)right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will (L)fulfill his purpose for me;
(M)your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake (N)the work of your hands.
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have (O)searched me and known me!
2 You (P)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you (Q)discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, (R)you know it altogether.
5 You (S)hem me in, behind and before,
and (T)lay your hand upon me.
6 (U)Such knowledge is (V)too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 (W)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where (X)shall I flee from your presence?
8 (Y)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
(Z)If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall (AA)lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (AB)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 (AC)even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you (AD)formed my inward parts;
you (AE)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[c]
(AF)Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 (AG)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in (AH)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (AI)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 your (AJ)thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 (AK)If I would count them, they are more than (AL)the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would (AM)slay the wicked, O God!
O (AN)men of blood, (AO)depart from me!
20 They (AP)speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies (AQ)take your name in vain.[d]
21 (AR)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not (AS)loathe those who (AT)rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
(AU)Try me and know my thoughts![e]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and (AV)lead me in (AW)the way everlasting![f]
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
140 (AX)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from (AY)violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and (AZ)stir up wars continually.
3 They make (BA)their tongue sharp as (BB)a serpent's,
and (BC)under their lips is the (BD)venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from (BE)violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have (BF)hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread (BG)a net;[g]
beside the way they have set (BH)snares for me. Selah
6 (BI)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to (BJ)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, (BK)the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 (BL)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their[h] evil plot, or (BM)they will be exalted! Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let (BN)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let (BO)burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the Lord will (BP)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and (BQ)will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely (BR)the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
(BS)the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Footnotes
- Psalm 138:2 Or you have exalted your word above all your name
- Psalm 138:3 Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength
- Psalm 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart
- Psalm 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name
- Psalm 139:23 Or cares
- Psalm 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)
- Psalm 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net
- Psalm 140:8 Hebrew his
Psalm 138-140
New International Version
Psalm 138-140
New International Version
Psalm 138
Of David.
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods”(A) I will sing(B) your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple(C)
and will praise your name(D)
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.(F)
3 When I called,(G) you answered me;(H)
you greatly emboldened(I) me.
4 May all the kings of the earth(J) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing(K) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord(L) is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(M)
though lofty, he sees them(N) from afar.
7 Though I walk(O) in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.(P)
You stretch out your hand(Q) against the anger of my foes;(R)
with your right hand(S) you save me.(T)
8 The Lord will vindicate(U) me;
your love, Lord, endures forever(V)—
do not abandon(W) the works of your hands.(X)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me,(Y) Lord,
and you know(Z) me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;(AA)
you perceive my thoughts(AB) from afar.
3 You discern my going out(AC) and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.(AD)
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.(AE)
5 You hem me in(AF) behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(AG)
too lofty(AH) for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee(AI) from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens,(AJ) you are there;
if I make my bed(AK) in the depths, you are there.
9 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,(AL)
your right hand(AM) 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(AN) to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;(AO)
you knit me together(AP) in my mother’s womb.(AQ)
14 I praise you(AR) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,(AS)
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made(AT) in the secret place,
when I was woven together(AU) in the depths of the earth.(AV)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained(AW) for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](AX) God!(AY)
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(AZ)
they would outnumber the grains of sand(BA)—
when I awake,(BB) I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(BC)
Away from me,(BD) you who are bloodthirsty!(BE)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries(BF) misuse your name.(BG)
21 Do I not hate those(BH) who hate you, Lord,
and abhor(BI) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.(BJ)
23 Search me,(BK) God, and know my heart;(BL)
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(BM) in me,
and lead me(BN) in the way everlasting.
Psalm 140[b]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me,(BO) Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,(BP)
2 who devise evil plans(BQ) in their hearts
and stir up war(BR) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(BS) a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers(BT) is on their lips.[c]
4 Keep me safe,(BU) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(BV)
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare(BW) for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net(BX)
and have set traps(BY) for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(BZ)
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(CA)
7 Sovereign Lord,(CB) my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(CC) their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
- Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
- Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.