139 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm by David. Jehovah, Thou hast searched me, and knowest.

² Thou -- Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts from afar.

³ My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And [with] all my ways hast been acquainted.

⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!

⁵ Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

⁶ Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.

⁷ Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do I flee?

⁸ If I ascend the heavens -- there Thou [art], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee!

⁹ I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

¹⁰ Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me.

¹¹ And I say, `Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night [is] light to me.

¹² Also darkness hideth not from Thee, And night as day shineth, as [is] darkness so [is] light.

¹³ For Thou -- Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother's belly.

¹⁴ I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful [are] Thy works, And my soul is knowing [it] well.

¹⁵ My substance was not hid from Thee, When I was made in secret, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth.

¹⁶ Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed -- And not one among them.

¹⁷ And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum!

¹⁸ I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee.

¹⁹ Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!

²⁰ Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity [are] Thine enemies.

²¹ Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee? And with Thy withstanders grieve myself?

²² [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,

²⁴ And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!

140 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Jehovah, from an evil man, From one of violence Thou keepest me.

² Who have devised evils in the heart, All the day they assemble [for] wars.

³ They sharpened their tongue as a serpent, Poison of an adder [is] under their lips. Selah.

⁴ Preserve me, Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked, From one of violence Thou keepest me, Who have devised to overthrow my steps.

⁵ The proud hid a snare for me -- and cords, They spread a net by the side of the path, Snares they have set for me. Selah.

⁶ I have said to Jehovah, `My God [art] Thou, Hear, Jehovah, the voice of my supplications.'

⁷ O Jehovah, my Lord, strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of armour.

⁸ Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked, His wicked device bring not forth, They are high. Selah.

⁹ The chief of my surrounders, The perverseness of their lips covereth them.

¹⁰ They cause to fall on themselves burning coals, Into fire He doth cast them, Into deep pits -- they arise not.

¹¹ A talkative man is not established in the earth, One of violence -- evil hunteth to overflowing.

¹² I have known that Jehovah doth execute The judgment of the afflicted, The judgment of the needy.

¹³ Only -- the righteous give thanks to Thy name, The upright do dwell with Thy presence!

141 A Psalm, by David. O Jehovah, I have called Thee, haste to me, Give ear [to] my voice when I call to Thee.

² My prayer is prepared -- incense before Thee, The lifting up of my hands -- the evening present.

³ Set, O Jehovah, a watch for my mouth, Watch Thou over the door of my lips.

⁴ Incline not my heart to an evil thing, To do habitually actions in wickedness, With men working iniquity, Yea, I eat not of their pleasant things.

⁵ The righteous doth beat me [in] kindness. And doth reprove me, Oil of the head my head disalloweth not, For still my prayer [is] about their vexations.

⁶ Their judges have been released by the sides of a rock, And they have heard my sayings, For they have been pleasant.

⁷ As one tilling and ripping up in the land, Have our bones been scattered at the command of Saul.

⁸ But to Thee, O Jehovah, my Lord, [are] mine eyes, In Thee I have trusted, Make not bare my soul.

⁹ Keep me from the gin they laid for me, Even snares of workers of iniquity.

¹⁰ The wicked fall in their nets together, till I pass over!