Psa 139 | HCSB | STEP | For the choir director . A Davidic psalm . Lord , You have searched me and known me.

‏ Psalms 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

1 For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

Lord, You have searched me and known me. ^a
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
You understand my thoughts from far away. ^b
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
You are aware of all my ways. ^c
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
You know all about it, Lord. ^d
5 You have encircled me;
You have placed Your hand on me. ^e
6 This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. ^f

7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence? ^g
8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; ^h
if I make my bed in ^{▼▼Sheol: A Hebrew word for either the grave or the realm of the dead}Sheol, You are there. ^j
9 If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits, ^{▼▼Lit I take up the wings of the dawn; I dwell at the end of the sea}
10 even there Your hand will lead me;
Your right hand will hold on to me. ^l
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night” ^m –
12 even the darkness is not dark to You.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to You. ⁿ

13 For it was You who created my inward parts; ^{▼▼Lit my kidneys}
You knit me together in my mother’s womb. ^p
14 I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. ^{▼▼DSS, some LXX mss, Syr, Jer read because You are remarkable and wonderful
,} ^{▼▼Hb obscure}
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well. ^s
15 My bones were not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth. ^t
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in Your book and planned
before a single one of them began. ^u

17 God, how difficult ^{▼▼Or precious} Your thoughts are
for me to comprehend;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand; ^w
when I wake up, ^{▼▼Some Hb mss read I come to an end} I am still with You. ^y

19 God, if only You would kill the wicked –
you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me ^z –
20 who invoke You deceitfully.
Your enemies swear by You falsely. ^aa
21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate You,
and detest those who rebel against You?
22 I hate them with extreme hatred;
I consider them my enemies. ^ab

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns. ^ac
24 See if there is any offensive ^{▼▼Or idolatrous} way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way. ^ae