The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
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 extraordinary 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 live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,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 wonderfully made.p, q
Your works are wonderful,
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 difficultu Your thoughts are
for me to comprehend;
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 mey —
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 offensiveac way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.ad
Footnotes:
a. 139:1 Ps 17:3; 44:21; Jr 12:3
b. 139:2 2Kg 19:27; Is 66:18; Mt 9:4
c. 139:3 Jb 14:16; 31:4
d. 139:4 Heb 4:13
e. 139:5 Jb 9:33; Ps 125:2
f. 139:6 Jb 42:3; Rm 11:33
g. 139:7 Jr 23:24
h. 139:8 Am 9:2-4
i. 139:8 Jb 26:6; Is 14:11
j. 139:9 Lit I take up the wings of the dawn; I dwell at the end of the sea
k. 139:9-10 Ps 23:2-3
l. 139:11 Jb 22:13-14
m. 139:12 Jb 34:22; Dn 2:22
n. 139:13 Lit my kidneys
o. 139:13 Jb 10:11; Ps 119:73
p. 139:14 DSS, some LXX mss, Syr, Jer read because You are remarkable and wonderful
q. 139:14 Hb obscure
r. 139:14 Ps 40:5
s. 139:15 Jb 10:8-10; Ps 63:9; Ec 11:5
t. 139:16 Jb 14:5
u. 139:17 Or precious
v. 139:17-18 Ps 40:5; 92:5
w. 139:18 Some Hb mss read I come to an end
x. 139:18 Ps 3:5
y. 139:19 Ps 5:6; 6:8; Is 11:4
z. 139:20 Ex 20:7; Jd 15
aa. 139:21-22 Ps 26:5; 31:16
ab. 139:23 Jb 31:6; Ps 26:2
ac. 139:24 Or idolatrous
ad. 139:24 Ps 16:11