Psalm 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

¹Lord, you have searched me and known me. ^a

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

you understand my thoughts from far away. ^b

³You observe my travels and my rest;

you are aware of all my ways. ^c

⁴Before a word is on my tongue,

you know all about it, Lord. ^d

⁵You have encircled me;

you have placed your hand on me. ^e

⁶This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.

It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. ^f

⁷Where can I go to escape your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence? ^g

⁸If I go up to heaven, you are there; ^h

if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. ⁱ

⁹If I fly on the wings of the dawn

and settle down on the western horizon, ^j

¹⁰even there your hand will lead me;

your right hand will hold on to me. ^k

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

and the light around me will be night” ^l —

¹²even the darkness is not dark to you.

The night shines like the day;

darkness and light are alike to you. ^m

¹³For it was you who created my inward parts; ⁿ

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ^o

¹⁴I will praise you

because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. ^p,^q

Your works are wondrous,

and I know this very well. ^r

¹⁵My bones were not hidden from you

when I was made in secret,

when I was formed in the depths of the earth. ^s

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. ^t

¹⁷God, how precious ^u your thoughts are to me;

how vast their sum is!

¹⁸If I counted them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand; ^v

when I wake up, ^w I am still with you. ^x

¹⁹God, if only you would kill the wicked —

you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me ^y —

²⁰who invoke you deceitfully.

Your enemies swear by you falsely. ^z

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. ^aa

²³Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns. ^ab

²⁴See if there is any offensive ^ac way in me;

lead me in the everlasting way. ^ad