Psalm 139 | English Standard Version

English Standard Version

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! (Ps 7:9; Ps 17:3; Ps 44:21; Jer 12:3)

Ps 7:9Ps 17:3Ps 44:21Jer 12:3

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. (2Ki 19:27; Job 14:16; Job 31:4; La 3:63; Mt 9:4; Joh 2:24)

2Ki 19:27Job 14:16Job 31:4La 3:63Mt 9:4Joh 2:24

3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. (Heb 4:13) 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. (Job 9:33; Job 19:8) 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. (Job 42:3; Ro 11:33) 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (Jer 23:24; Jon 1:3) 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! (Job 26:6; Am 9:2) 9 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. (Ps 23:3; Ps 139:24) 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” (Job 22:14) 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. (Job 34:22; Da 2:22) 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. (De 32:6; Job 10:11) 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^[1] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Ps 72:18) 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. (Job 10:8; Ps 63:9; Ec 11:5) 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Ps 56:8) 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (Ps 92:5) 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. (Ge 22:17; Ps 40:5) 19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! (Ps 5:6; Ps 6:8; Ps 9:17; Isa 11:4)

Ps 5:6Ps 6:8Ps 9:17Isa 11:4

20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.^[2] (Ex 20:7; Jud 1:15) 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? (Ps 26:5; Ps 59:1; Ps 119:158) 22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!^[3] (Ps 26:2) 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!^[4] (Ps 139:10; Jer 6:16; Jer 18:15)

New International Version

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

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 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, your right hand 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 to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts,^[1] God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

King James Version

1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me . 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but , lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there . 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 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 . 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered 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. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts 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. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is 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. 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

New International Reader’s Version

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 LORD, you have seen what is in my heart. You know all about me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know what I’m thinking even though you are far away. 3 You know when I go out to work and when I come back home. You know exactly how I live. 4 LORD, even before I speak a word, you know all about it. 5 You are all around me, behind me and in front of me. You hold me safe in your hand. 6 I’m amazed at how well you know me. It’s more than I can understand. 7 How can I get away from your Spirit? Where can I go to escape from you? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there. 9 Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east. Suppose I travel to the west where it sinks into the ocean. 10 Your hand would always be there to guide me. Your right hand would still be holding me close. 11 Suppose I were to say, ‘I’m sure the darkness will hide me. The light around me will become as dark as night.’ 12 Even that darkness would not be dark to you. The night would shine like the day, because darkness is like light to you. 13 You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body. 14 How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well. 15 None of my bones was hidden from you when you made me inside my mother’s body. That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth. When you were putting me together there, 16 your eyes saw my body even before it was formed. You planned how many days I would live. You wrote down the number of them in your book before I had lived through even one of them. 17 God, your thoughts about me are priceless. No one can possibly add them all up. 18 If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up, you would still be there with me. 19 God, I wish you would kill the people who are evil! I wish those murderers would get away from me! 20 They are your enemies. They misuse your name. They misuse it for their own evil purposes. 21 LORD, I really hate those who hate you! I really hate those who rise up against you! 22 I have nothing but hatred for them. I consider them to be my enemies. 23 God, see what is in my heart. Know what is there. Test me. Know what I’m thinking. 24 See if there’s anything in my life you don’t like. Help me live in the way that is always right.