God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, (A)You have searched me and known me.
(B)You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You (C)understand my thought afar off.
(D)You [a]comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, (E)You know it altogether.
You have [b]hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
(F)Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

(G)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
(H)If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
(I)If I make my bed in [c]hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall [d]fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, (J)the darkness [e]shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You [f]covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for [g]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 (K)My [h]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 (L)How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would (M)slay the wicked, O God!
(N)Depart from me, therefore, you [i]bloodthirsty men.
20 For they (O)speak against You wickedly;
[j]Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 (P)Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with [k]perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 (Q)Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And (R)lead me in the way everlasting.

Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

140 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who plan evil things in their hearts;
(S)They continually gather together for war.
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
The (T)poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

(U)Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.
The proud have hidden a (V)snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah

I said to the Lord: “You are my God;
Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have [l]covered my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further his wicked scheme,
(W)Lest they be exalted. Selah

As for the head of those who surround me,
Let the evil of their lips cover them;
10 (X)Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12 I know that the Lord will (Y)maintain
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
Let my prayer be set before You (Z)as incense,
(AA)The lifting up of my hands as (AB)the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my (AC)mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
(AD)And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

(AE)Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.

For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the [m]cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.

But (AF)my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
[n]Do not leave my soul destitute.
Keep me from (AG)the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 (AH)Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:3 Lit. winnow
  2. Psalm 139:5 enclosed
  3. Psalm 139:8 Or Sheol
  4. Psalm 139:11 Vg., Symmachus cover
  5. Psalm 139:12 Lit. is not dark
  6. Psalm 139:13 wove
  7. Psalm 139:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. You are fearfully wonderful
  8. Psalm 139:15 Lit. bones were
  9. Psalm 139:19 Lit. men of bloodshed
  10. Psalm 139:20 LXX, Vg. They take Your cities in vain
  11. Psalm 139:22 complete
  12. Psalm 140:7 sheltered
  13. Psalm 141:6 rock
  14. Psalm 141:8 Lit. Do not make my soul bare

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me,(A) Lord,
    and you know(B) me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
    you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
You hem me in(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
    too lofty(J) for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed(M) in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(N)
    your right hand(O) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;(Q)
    you knit me together(R) in my mother’s womb.(S)
14 I praise you(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(U)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(W) in the depths of the earth.(X)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](Z) God!(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(AC)
    when I awake,(AD) I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(AE)
    Away from me,(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!(AG)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries(AH) misuse your name.(AI)
21 Do I not hate those(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.(AL)
23 Search me,(AM) God, and know my heart;(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(AO) in me,
    and lead me(AP) in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140[b]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Rescue me,(AQ) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,(AR)
who devise evil plans(AS) in their hearts
    and stir up war(AT) every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as(AU) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers(AV) is on their lips.[c]

Keep me safe,(AW) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(AX)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare(AY) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net(AZ)
    and have set traps(BA) for me along my path.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(BB)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(BC)
Sovereign Lord,(BD) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked(BE) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(BF)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,(BG)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.(BH)

12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(BI)
    and upholds the cause(BJ) of the needy.(BK)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(BL)
    and the upright will live(BM) in your presence.(BN)

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

I call to you, Lord, come quickly(BO) to me;
    hear me(BP) when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;(BQ)
    may the lifting up of my hands(BR) be like the evening sacrifice.(BS)

Set a guard over my mouth,(BT) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.(BU)
Do not let my heart(BV) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds(BW)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.(BX)

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me(BY)—that is oil on my head.(BZ)
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(CA)
    and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
They will say, “As one plows(CB) and breaks up the earth,(CC)
    so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(CD) of the grave.”

But my eyes are fixed(CE) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge(CF)—do not give me over to death.
Keep me safe(CG) from the traps set by evildoers,(CH)
    from the snares(CI) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(CJ) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.(CK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
  2. Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
  3. Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.