Psalms 139

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.	1 For the leader. A psalm of David. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.	2 you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.	3 My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.	4 Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.	5 Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.	6 Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?	7 Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.	8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there too.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;	9 If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.	10 Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.	11 If I say, "Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light" --
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.	12 Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.	13 You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.	14 I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.	15 my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.	16 Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!	17 How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.	18 Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands; to finish, I would need eternity.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.	19 If only you would destroy the wicked, O God, and the bloodthirsty would depart from me!
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.	20 Deceitfully they invoke your name; your foes swear faithless oaths.
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?	21 Do I not hate, LORD, those who hate you? Those who rise against you, do I not loathe?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.	22 With fierce hatred I hate them, enemies I count as my own.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:	23 Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concerns.
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.	24 See if my way is crooked, then lead me in the ancient paths.