The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

1 For the music director, a psalm of David. O Lord, you examine me and know.

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

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

2 You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives.

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

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

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.

3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do.

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

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

4 Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.

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

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

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!

5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.

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

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

6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.

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

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

7 Where can I go to escape your spirit? Where can I flee to escape your presence?

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

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

8 If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.

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

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 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!

9 If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea,

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

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

10 even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me.

10 Even there shall thy hand 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 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.

11 If I were to say, "Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,"

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be 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 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,"

12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are the same 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 (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 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.

13 Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother's womb.

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

13 For You (Q)formed my (i)inward parts;You (R)wove 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.

14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly;

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 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 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.

15 my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the 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 (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 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.

16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.

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 (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 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.

17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast is their sum total!

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

17 How precious also are Your (Y)thoughts to me, O God!How vast 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!

18 If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend 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 should count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.When (AA)I awake, I am still with You.

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.

19 If only you would kill the wicked, O God! Get away from me, you violent men!

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

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

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,

20 They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies lie.

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

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

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

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 ?

22 I absolutely hate them, they have become my enemies!

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

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

23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns!

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

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

24 See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me, and lead me in the reliable ancient path!

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

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

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

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