Psalm 139

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

³ But Jonah ran^(A) away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish^(B). He went down to Joppa,^(C) where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.^(D)

⁴ Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.^(E)

³² “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. ³³ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm^(A) and with outpoured wrath.^{(B) 34} I will bring you from the nations^(C) and gather^(D) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(E) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^{(F) 35} I will bring you into the wilderness^(G) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(H) upon you.

²⁸ The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god^(A) of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know^(B) that I am the Lord.’”

²³ Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods^(A) of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.