Psalms 139 GNV
Summary: A deeply personal meditation of David on God's total knowledge and presence, opening "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known thee" — actually "and known me" (v. 1) — tracing how God knows his sitting, rising, and every word before it is spoken. Its most famous section asks rhetorically where one could flee such presence — "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there" (v. 8) — before turning to praise for how he was formed: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made... my substance, yet being unperfect" was seen and written in God's book before any of his days existed (v. 14-16). It closes with a request for self-examination rather than self-justification: "Search me, O God, and know my heart... and see if there be any wicked way in me" (v. 23-24).
1To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. O Lord, thou hast tried me and knowen me.
2Thou knowest my sitting and my rising: thou vnderstandest my thought afarre off.
3Thou compassest my pathes, and my lying downe, and art accustomed to all my wayes.
4For there is not a word in my tongue, but loe, thou knowest it wholy, O Lord.
5Thou holdest mee straite behinde and before, and layest thine hand vpon me.
6Thy knowledge is too wonderfull for mee: it is so high that I cannot attaine vnto it.
7Whither shall I goe from thy Spirite? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8If I ascende into heauen, thou art there: if I lye downe in hell, thou art there.
9Let mee take the winges of the morning, and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea:
10Yet thither shall thine hand leade me, and thy right hand holde me.
11If I say, Yet the darkenes shall hide me, euen the night shalbe light about me.
12Yea, the darkenes hideth not from thee: but the night shineth as the day: the darkenes and light are both alike.
13For thou hast possessed my reines: thou hast couered me in my mothers wombe.
14I will praise thee, for I am fearefully and wonderously made: marueilous are thy workes, and my soule knoweth it well.
15My bones are not hid from thee, though I was made in a secret place, and facioned beneath in the earth.
16Thine eyes did see me, when I was without forme: for in thy booke were all things written, which in continuance were facioned, when there was none of them before.
17Howe deare therefore are thy thoughtes vnto me, O God! how great is ye summe of them!
18If I should count them, they are moe then the sand: when I wake, I am still with thee.
19Oh that thou wouldest slay, O God, the wicked and bloody men, to whom I say, Depart ye from mee:
20Which speake wickedly of thee, and being thine enemies are lifted vp in vaine.
21Doe not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and doe not I earnestly contend with those that rise vp against thee?
22I hate them with an vnfained hatred, as they were mine vtter enemies.
23Try mee, O God, and knowe mine heart: prooue me and know my thoughtes,
24And consider if there be any way of wickednes in me, and leade me in the way for euer.
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