A psalm written by David for the choir director

139 Yahweh, you have examined me,

and you know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up.

Even though you are far away from me,

you know what I am thinking.

3 When I travel and when I lie down,

you know everything that I do.

4 Yahweh, even before I say [MTY] anything,

you know everything that I am going to say!

5 You protect me on all sides;

you put your hand on me to protect me with your power [MTY].

6 I am not able to understand that you know everything about me.

That is too great for me to really understand.

7 ◄Where could I go to escape from your Spirit?/I could not go anywhere to escape from your Spirit.► [RHQ]

◄Where could I go to get away from you?/I could not go anywhere to get away from you.► [RHQ]

8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there.

If I lay down in the place where the dead people are, you would be there.

9 If I had wings and flew very far east [MTY],

or if I flew west and made a place to live on an island in the ocean,

10 you would be there also, to lead me by your hand,

and you would help me.

11 I could request the darkness to hide me,

or I could request the light around me to become darkness,

12 but even if that happened, the darkness would not be darkness for you!

For you, the night is as bright as the daytime is,

because for you, daylight and darkness are ◄not different/the same►.

13 You created all the parts of my body;

you put the parts of my body together when I was still in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because you made my body in a very awesome and wonderful way.

Everything that you do is amazing!

I know that very well.

15 When my body was being formed,

while it was being put together where no one else could see it,

you saw it!

16 You saw me before I was born.

You wrote in your book the number of days that you had decided that I would live.

You did that before any of those days had even started!

17 God, what you think about me is very precious (OR, is very hard to understand).

There is a great number of things that you think about.

18 If I could count them, I would see that they are more than the grains of sand at the seashore.

And when I wake up, I am still with you

and I know that there are still more of your thoughts about me to count.

19 God, I desire that you would kill all the wicked people!

And I wish that violent [MTY] men would ◄leave/go away from► me.

20 They say wicked/malicious things about you;

they slander your name.

21 Yahweh, I certainly [RHQ] hate those who hate you!

And I despise [RHQ] those who rebel against you.

22 I hate them completely,

and I consider that they are my enemies.

23 God, search my inner being;

find out what I am thinking!

24 Find out whether there is anything evil in my inner being,

and lead me along the road that leads to my being with you forever.