Psalms 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

¹Lord , You have searched me and known me.[#Ps 17:3; 44:21; Jr 12:3]

²You know when I sit down and when I stand up;

You understand my thoughts from far away.

³You observe my travels and my rest;

You are aware of all my ways.

⁴Before a word is on my tongue,

You know all about it, Lord .

⁵You have encircled me;

You have placed Your hand on me.

⁶This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.

It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

⁷Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence?

⁸If I go up to heaven, You are there;[#Am 9:2-4]

if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

⁹If I live at the eastern horizon

or settle at the western limits,

¹⁰even there Your hand will lead me;

Your right hand will hold on to me.

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,

and the light around me will be night” —

¹²even the darkness is not dark to You.

The night shines like the day;

darkness and light are alike to You.

¹³For it was You who created my inward parts;[#Lit my kidneys]

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I will praise You

because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.

Your works are wonderful,

and I know this very well.

¹⁵My bones were not hidden from You

when I was made in secret,

when I was formed in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶Your eyes saw me when I was formless;

all my days were written in Your book and planned

before a single one of them began.

¹⁷God, how difficult Your thoughts are[#Or precious]

for me to comprehend;

how vast their sum is!

¹⁸If I counted them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand;

when I wake up, I am still with You.

¹⁹God, if only You would kill the wicked —

you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me —

²⁰who invoke You deceitfully.

Your enemies swear by You falsely.

²¹Lord , don’t I hate those who hate You,

and detest those who rebel against You?

²²I hate them with extreme hatred;

I consider them my enemies.

²³Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns.

²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me;[#Or idolatrous]

lead me in the everlasting way.