Psalm 139
Lexham English Bible
The Knowledge of God
For the music director. Of David. A psalm.[a]
139 O Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You search out[b] my wandering and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word yet on my tongue,
but behold, O Yahweh, you know it completely.
5 You barricade me behind and in front,
and set your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is set high; I cannot prevail against it.
7 Where I can go from your Spirit,
or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, there you are,
and if I make my bed in Sheol, look! There you are.
9 If I lift up the wings of the dawn,
and I alight on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
and your right hand would hold me fast.
11 And if I should say, “Surely darkness will cover me,
and the light around me will be as night,”
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you,[c]
and the night shines as the day—
the darkness and the light are alike for you.
13 Indeed you created my inward parts;[d]
you wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made.[e]
Wonderful are your works,
and my soul knows it well.
15 My frame[f] was not hidden from you,
when I was created secretly,[g]
and intricately woven
in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my embryo,[h]
and in your book they all were written—
days fashioned for me when there was not one of them.
17 And to me, how precious[i] are your thoughts, O God;
how vast is their sum.
18 If I should count them,
they would outnumber the sand.
I awaken, and I am still with you.
19 If only you would kill the wicked, O God—
so get away from me, you bloodthirsty men—[j]
20 who speak against you deceitfully.
Your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Yahweh?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with a complete hatred;
they have become my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 And see if there is in me the worship of false gods,[k]
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
- Psalm 139:3 Hebrew “winnow”; or perhaps from another root, “measure”
- Psalm 139:12 Or “does not obscure from you”
- Psalm 139:13 Literally “kidneys”
- Psalm 139:14 Or “I am made wonderful fearfully”
- Psalm 139:15 Literally “bone”
- Psalm 139:15 Or “in the secret place”
- Psalm 139:16 Hebrew “unformed substance”
- Psalm 139:17 Or “difficult”
- Psalm 139:19 Literally “men of bloods”
- Psalm 139:24 Literally “a way of an idol”
Psalm 139
English Standard Version
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have (A)searched me and known me!
2 You (B)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you (C)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, (D)you know it altogether.
5 You (E)hem me in, behind and before,
and (F)lay your hand upon me.
6 (G)Such knowledge is (H)too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 (I)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where (J)shall I flee from your presence?
8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
(L)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 (M)lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (N)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 (O)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 (P)formed my inward parts;
you (Q)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
(R)Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 (S)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in (T)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (U)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 (V)thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 (W)If I would count them, they are more than (X)the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would (Y)slay the wicked, O God!
O (Z)men of blood, (AA)depart from me!
20 They (AB)speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies (AC)take your name in vain.[b]
21 (AD)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not (AE)loathe those who (AF)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!
(AG)Try me and know my thoughts![c]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and (AH)lead me in (AI)the way everlasting![d]
Footnotes
- 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)
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
