Psalm 139 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

139 Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.
2 You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I get up;
You (C)understand my thought from far away.
3 You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You (E)know it all.
5 You have (F)encircled me behind and in front,
And (G)placed Your hand upon me.
6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

7 (J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [f]Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.
9 If I take up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will (M)lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the (N)darkness will [g]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even (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.

13 For You (Q)created my innermost parts;
You (R)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, because [i]I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
(S)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [j](T)frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the (U)depths of the earth;
16 Your (V)eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in (W)Your book were written
All the (X)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your (Y)thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.
When (AA)I awake, I am still with You.

19 If only You would (AB)put the wicked to death, God;
(AC)Leave me, (AD)you men of bloodshed.
20 For they (AE)speak [k]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [l](AF)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (AG)hate those who hate You, Lord?
And do I not (AH)loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

23 (AI)Search me, God, and know my heart;
(AJ)Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there is any [m](AK)hurtful way in me,
And (AL)lead me in the (AM)everlasting way.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:2 Lit my sitting
  2. Psalm 139:2 Lit my rising
  3. Psalm 139:3 Lit winnow
  4. Psalm 139:3 Or journeying
  5. Psalm 139:4 Lit For there is not
  6. Psalm 139:8 I.e., the netherworld
  7. Psalm 139:11 Lit bruise; some commentators cover
  8. Psalm 139:12 Lit from
  9. Psalm 139:14 Some ancient versions You are fearfully wonderful
  10. Psalm 139:15 Lit bones were
  11. Psalm 139:20 Or of
  12. Psalm 139:20 Some mss lift themselves up against You
  13. Psalm 139:24 Lit way of pain

Cross references

  1. Psalm 139:1 : Ps 17:3; 44:21; Jer 12:3
  2. Psalm 139:2 : 2 Kin 19:27
  3. Psalm 139:2 : Ps 94:11; Is 66:18; Matt 9:4
  4. Psalm 139:3 : Job 14:16; 31:4
  5. Psalm 139:4 : Heb 4:13
  6. Psalm 139:5 : Ps 34:7; 125:2
  7. Psalm 139:5 : Job 9:33
  8. Psalm 139:6 : Rom 11:33
  9. Psalm 139:6 : Job 42:3
  10. Psalm 139:7 : Jer 23:24
  11. Psalm 139:8 : Amos 9:2-4
  12. Psalm 139:8 : Job 26:6; Prov 15:11
  13. Psalm 139:10 : Ps 23:2, 3
  14. Psalm 139:11 : Job 22:13
  15. Psalm 139:12 : Job 34:22; Dan 2:22
  16. Psalm 139:12 : 1 John 1:5
  17. Psalm 139:13 : Ps 119:73; Is 44:24
  18. Psalm 139:13 : Job 10:11
  19. Psalm 139:14 : Ps 40:5
  20. Psalm 139:15 : Job 10:8-10; Eccl 11:5
  21. Psalm 139:15 : Ps 63:9
  22. Psalm 139:16 : Job 10:8-10; Eccl 11:5
  23. Psalm 139:16 : Ps 56:8
  24. Psalm 139:16 : Job 14:5
  25. Psalm 139:17 : Ps 40:5; 92:5
  26. Psalm 139:18 : Ps 40:5
  27. Psalm 139:18 : Ps 3:5
  28. Psalm 139:19 : Is 11:4
  29. Psalm 139:19 : Ps 6:8; 119:115
  30. Psalm 139:19 : Ps 5:6; 26:9
  31. Psalm 139:20 : Jude 15
  32. Psalm 139:20 : Ex 20:7; Deut 5:11
  33. Psalm 139:21 : 2 Chr 19:2; Ps 26:5; 31:6
  34. Psalm 139:21 : Ps 119:158
  35. Psalm 139:23 : Job 31:6; Ps 26:2
  36. Psalm 139:23 : Ps 7:9; Prov 17:3; Jer 11:20; 1 Thess 2:4
  37. Psalm 139:24 : Ps 146:9; Prov 15:9; 28:10; Jer 25:5; 36:3
  38. Psalm 139:24 : Ps 5:8; 143:10
  39. Psalm 139:24 : Ps 16:11

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