Psalm 139-140

New International Version

Psalm 139

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

¹You have searched me,^(A) Lord,
    and you know^(B) me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;^(C)
    you perceive my thoughts^(D) from afar.
³You discern my going out^(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.^(F)
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.^(G)
⁵You hem me in^(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,^(I)
    too lofty^(J) for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee^(K) from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens,^(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed^(M) in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,^(N)
    your right hand^(O) will hold me fast.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹²even the darkness will not be dark^(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

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

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

¹Rescue me,^(AQ) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,^(AR)
²who devise evil plans^(AS) in their hearts
    and stir up war^(AT) every day.
³They make their tongues as sharp as^(AU) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers^(AV) is on their lips.^[c]

⁴Keep me safe,^(AW) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(AX)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵The 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.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(BB)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(BC)
⁷Sovereign Lord,^(BD) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸Do not grant the wicked^(BE) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(BF)
¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(BG)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(BH)

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

Footnotes

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