Psalm 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

Lord, you have searched me and known me.†

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 wondrous 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;†

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

9If I fly on the wings of the dawn

and settle down on the western horizon,†

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;†

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.†

14I will praise you

because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.† †

Your works are wondrous,

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 precious† your thoughts are to me;

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;

lead me in the everlasting way.†