God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.
You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;
You (C)understand my thought from afar.
You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
[e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You (E)know it all.
You have (F)enclosed me behind and before,
And (G)laid Your hand upon me.
Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

(J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
(K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [f]Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will (M)lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the (N)darkness will [g]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the (O)darkness is not dark [h]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
(P)Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You (Q)formed my [i]inward parts;
You (R)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [j]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
(S)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [k](T)frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the (U)depths of the earth;
16 Your (V)eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in (W)Your book were all written
The (X)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your (Y)thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.
When (AA)I awake, I am still with You.

19 O that You would (AB)slay the wicked, O God;
(AC)Depart from me, therefore, (AD)men of bloodshed.
20 For they (AE)speak [l]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [m](AF)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (AG)hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not (AH)loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

23 (AI)Search me, O God, and know my heart;
(AJ)Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [n](AK)hurtful way in me,
And (AL)lead me in the (AM)everlasting way.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:2 Lit my sitting
  2. Psalm 139:2 Lit my rising
  3. Psalm 139:3 Lit winnow
  4. Psalm 139:3 Or journeying
  5. Psalm 139:4 Lit For there is not
  6. Psalm 139:8 I.e. the nether world
  7. Psalm 139:11 Lit bruise; some commentators read cover
  8. Psalm 139:12 Lit from
  9. Psalm 139:13 Lit kidneys
  10. Psalm 139:14 Some ancient versions read You are fearfully wonderful
  11. Psalm 139:15 Lit bones were
  12. Psalm 139:20 Or of
  13. Psalm 139:20 Some mss read lift themselves up against You
  14. Psalm 139:24 Lit way of pain

Psalm 139

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

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

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed(M) in the depths, you are there.
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,(N)
    your right hand(O) 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(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me

15 And He said to them, “You are those who (A)justify yourselves [a]in the sight of men, but (B)God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable [b]in the sight of God.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:15 Lit before
  2. Luke 16:15 Lit before

15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves(A) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.(B) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

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24 And they (A)prayed and said, “You, Lord, (B)who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

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24 Then they prayed,(A) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.(B) Show us(C) which of these two you have chosen

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23 And I will kill her children with [a]pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who (A)searches the [b]minds and hearts; and (B)I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:23 Lit death
  2. Revelation 2:23 Lit kidneys, i.e. inner man

23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,(A) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(B)

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