Psalm 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God 

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                                    1 O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:                                

                                    1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David.O Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.                                

                                    1 {To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.                                

                                    1 For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.Lord, You have searched me and known me.(A)                                

                                    1 LORD, you have examined me; you have known me.                                
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                                    2 Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:                                

                                    2 You (B)know (a)when I sit down and (b)when I rise up;You (C)understand my thought from afar.                                

                                    2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.                                

                                    2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;You understand my thoughts from far away.(B)                                

                                    2 You know when I rest and when I am active. You understand what I am thinking when I am distant from you.                                
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                                    3 My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.                                

                                    3 You (c)(D)scrutinize my (d)path and my lying down,And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.                                

                                    3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.                                

                                    3 You observe my travels and my rest;You are aware of all my ways.(C)                                

                                    3 You scrutinize my life and my rest; you are familiar with all of my ways.                                
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                                    4 Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, but behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.                                

                                    4 (e)Even before there is a word on my tongue,Behold, O Lord, You (E)know it all.                                

                                    4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.                                

                                    4 Before a word is on my tongue,You know all about it, Lord.(D)                                

                                    4 Even before I have formed a word with my tongue, you, LORD, know it completely!                                
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                                    5 Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand: -                                

                                    5 You have (F)enclosed me behind and before,And (G)laid Your hand upon me.                                

                                    5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.                                

                                    5 You have encircled me;You have placed Your hand on me.(E)                                

                                    5 You encircle me from back to front, placing your hand upon me.                                
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                                    6 Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!                                

                                    6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;It is too high, I cannot attain to it.                                

                                    6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.                                

                                    6 This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.(F)                                

                                    6 Knowledge like this is too amazing for me. It is beyond my reach, and I cannot fathom it.                                
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                                    7 Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?                                

                                    7 (J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?Or where can I flee from Your presence?                                

                                    7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?                                

                                    7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?Where can I flee from Your presence?(G)                                

                                    7 Where can I flee from your spirit? Or where will I run from your presence?                                
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                                    8 If I ascend the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee!                                

                                    8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;If I make my bed in (f)Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.                                

                                    8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.                                

                                    8 If I go up to heaven, You are there;(H)if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.(I)                                

                                    8 If I rise to heaven, there you are! If I lay down with the dead, there you are!                                
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                                    9 If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,                                

                                    9 If I take the wings of the dawn,If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,                                

                                    9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;                                

                                    9 If I live at the eastern horizonor settle at the western limits,(a)                                

                                    9 If I take wings with the dawn and settle down on the western horizon                                
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                                    10 Even there, thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.                                

                                    10 Even there Your hand will (M)lead me,And Your right hand will lay hold of me.                                

                                    10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.                                

                                    10 even there Your hand will lead me;Your right hand will hold on to me.(J)                                

                                    10 your hand will guide me there, too, while your right hand keeps a firm grip on me.                                
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                                    11 If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.                                

                                    11 If I say, “Surely the (N)darkness will (g)overwhelm me,And the light around me will be night,”                                

                                    11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.                                

                                    11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,and the light around me will be night”(K)—                                

                                    11 If I say, "Darkness will surely conceal me, and the light around me will become night,"                                
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                                    12 Even darkness, will not conceal from thee, - but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!                                

                                    12 Even the (O)darkness is not dark (h)to You,And the night is as bright as the day.(P)Darkness and light are alike to You.                                

                                    12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.                                

                                    12 even the darkness is not dark to You.The night shines like the day;darkness and light are alike to You.(L)                                

                                    12 even darkness isn't dark to you, darkness and light are the same to you.                                
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                                    13 For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.                                

                                    13 For You (Q)formed my (i)inward parts;You (R)wove me in my mother’s womb.                                

                                    13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.                                

                                    13 For it was You who created my inward parts;(b)You knit me together in my mother’s womb.(M)                                

                                    13 It was you who formed my internal organs, fashioning me within my mother's womb.                                
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                                    14 I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing them intently!                                

                                    14 I will give thanks to You, for (j)I am fearfully and wonderfully made;(S)Wonderful are Your works,And my soul knows it very well.                                

                                    14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.                                

                                    14 I will praise Youbecause I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.(c)(d)Your works are wonderful,and I know this very well.(N)                                

                                    14 I praise you, because you are fearful and wondrous! Your work is wonderful, and I am fully aware of it.                                
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                                    15 My substance was not hid from thee, - when I was made in secret, when I was skilfully figured in the lower parts of the earth.                                

                                    15 My (k)(T)frame was not hidden from You,When I was made in secret,And skillfully wrought in the (U)depths of the earth;                                

                                    15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.                                

                                    15 My bones were not hidden from Youwhen I was made in secret,when I was formed in the depths of the earth.(O)                                

                                    15 My frame was not hidden from you while I was being crafted in a hidden place, knit together in the depths of the earth.                                
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                                    16 Mine unfinished substance, thine eyes beheld, and, in thy book, all the parts thereof were written, - the days they should be fashioned! while yet there was not one among them.                                

                                    16 Your (V)eyes have seen my unformed substance;And in (W)Your book were all writtenThe (X)days that were ordained for me,When as yet there was not one of them.                                

                                    16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.                                

                                    16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;all my days were written in Your book and plannedbefore a single one of them began.(P)                                

                                    16 Your eyes looked upon my embryo, and everything was recorded in your book. The days scheduled for my formation were inscribed, even though not one of them had come yet.                                
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                                    17 To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!                                

                                    17 How precious also are Your (Y)thoughts to me, O God!How vast is the sum of them!                                

                                    17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!                                

                                    17 God, how difficult(e) Your thoughts arefor me to comprehend;how vast their sum is!                                

                                    17 How deep are your thoughts, God! How great is their number!                                
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                                    18 I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself - and am still with thee.                                

                                    18 If I should count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.When (AA)I awake, I am still with You.                                

                                    18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.                                

                                    18 If I counted them,they would outnumber the grains of sand;(Q)when I wake up,(f) I am still with You.(R)                                

                                    18 Were I to count them, they would number more than the sand. When I awake, I will be with you.                                
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                                    19 Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!                                

                                    19 O that You would (AB)slay the wicked, O God;(AC)Depart from me, therefore, (AD)men of bloodshed.                                

                                    19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.                                

                                    19 God, if only You would kill the wicked—you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me(S)—                                

                                    19 God, if only you would execute the wicked, so that the men guilty of bloodshed would get away from me,                                
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                                    20 For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up their hand unto falsehood.                                

                                    20 For they (AE)speak (l)against You wickedly,And Your enemies (m)(AF)take Your name in vain.                                

                                    20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.                                

                                    20 who invoke You deceitfully.Your enemies swear by You falsely.(T)                                

                                    20 who speak against you with evil motives, your enemies who are acting in vain.                                
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                                    21 Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?                                

                                    21 Do I not (AG)hate those who hate You, O Lord?And do I not (AH)loathe those who rise up against You?                                

                                    21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?                                

                                    21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate You,and detest those who rebel against You?                                

                                    21 I hate those who hate you, LORD, do I not? I loathe those who rebel against you, do I not ?                                
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                                    22 With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.                                

                                    22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;They have become my enemies.                                

                                    22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.                                

                                    22 I hate them with extreme hatred;I consider them my enemies.(U)                                

                                    22 With consummate hatred I hate them; I consider them my enemies.                                
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                                    23 Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;                                

                                    23 (AI)Search me, O God, and know my heart;(AJ)Try me and know my anxious thoughts;                                

                                    23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:                                

                                    23 Search me, God, and know my heart;test me and know my concerns.(V)                                

                                    23 Examine me, God, and know my mind, test me, and know my thoughts.                                
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                                    24 And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.                                

                                    24 And see if there be any (n)(AK)hurtful way in me,And (AL)lead me in the (AM)everlasting way.                                

                                    24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.                                

                                    24 See if there is any offensive(g) way in me;lead me in the everlasting way.(W)                                

                                    24 See if there is any offensive tendency in me, and lead me in the eternal way. To the Music Director: A Davidic Song