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Psalm 139-141
New American Standard Bible

God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

139 Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.
2 You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I get up;
You (C)understand my thought from far away.
3 You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You (E)know it all.
5 You have (F)encircled me behind and in front,
And (G)placed Your hand upon me.
6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

7 (J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [f]Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.
9 If I take up 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 take 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 (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)created my innermost parts;
You (R)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, because [i]I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
(S)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [j](T)frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the (U)depths of the earth;
16 Your (V)eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in (W)Your book were written
All 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 for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.
When (AA)I awake, I am still with You.

19 If only You would (AB)put the wicked to death, God;
(AC)Leave me, (AD)you men of bloodshed.
20 For they (AE)speak [k]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [l](AF)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (AG)hate those who hate You, 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, God, and know my heart;
(AJ)Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there is any [m](AK)hurtful way in me,
And (AL)lead me in the (AM)everlasting way.

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

140 (AN)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from (AO)violent men
2 Who (AP)devise evil things in their hearts;
They (AQ)continually stir up wars.
3 They (AR)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
(AS)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah

4 (AT)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
(AU)Protect me from violent men
Who [n]intend to [o](AV)trip up my feet.
5 The proud have (AW)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a (AX)net at the [p]wayside;
They have set (AY)snares for me. Selah

6 I (AZ)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
(BA)Listen, Lord, to the (BB)sound of my pleadings.
7 [q]God the Lord, (BC)the strength of my salvation,
You have (BD)covered my head on the day of [r]battle.
8 Do not grant, Lord, the (BE)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about (BF)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah

9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
May the (BG)harm of their lips cover them.
10 May (BH)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be (BI)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they (BJ)cannot rise.
11 May a [s]slanderer not endure on the earth;
(BK)May evil hunt a violent person [t]violently.”

12 I know that the Lord will (BL)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And (BM)justice for the poor.
13 Certainly the (BN)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The (BO)upright will dwell in Your presence.

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I call upon You; (BP)hurry to me!
(BQ)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be [u]counted as (BR)incense before You;
The (BS)raising of my hands as the (BT)evening offering.
3 Set a (BU)guard, Lord, [v]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (BV)door of my lips.
4 (BW)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [w]of wickedness
With people who (BX)do wrong;
And (BY)may I not taste their delicacies.

5 May the (BZ)righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
It is (CA)oil for the head;
My head shall not refuse it,
For my prayer (CB)is still against their evil deeds.
6 Their judges are (CC)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one (CD)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (CE)bones have been scattered at the (CF)mouth of [x]Sheol.

8 For my (CG)eyes are toward You, [y]God, the Lord;
In You I (CH)take refuge; (CI)do not [z]leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the [aa](CJ)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (CK)snares of those who do wrong.
10 May the wicked (CL)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [ab](CM)safely.

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 netherworld
  7. Psalm 139:11 Lit bruise; some commentators cover
  8. Psalm 139:12 Lit from
  9. Psalm 139:14 Some ancient versions You are fearfully wonderful
  10. Psalm 139:15 Lit bones were
  11. Psalm 139:20 Or of
  12. Psalm 139:20 Some mss lift themselves up against You
  13. Psalm 139:24 Lit way of pain
  14. Psalm 140:4 Or devise
  15. Psalm 140:4 Lit push
  16. Psalm 140:5 Lit track
  17. Psalm 140:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  18. Psalm 140:7 Lit weapons
  19. Psalm 140:11 Lit man of tongue
  20. Psalm 140:11 Lit blow upon blow
  21. Psalm 141:2 Lit fixed
  22. Psalm 141:3 Lit to
  23. Psalm 141:4 Lit in
  24. Psalm 141:7 I.e., the netherworld
  25. Psalm 141:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  26. Psalm 141:8 Lit pour out my soul
  27. Psalm 141:9 Lit hands of the trap
  28. Psalm 141:10 Lit altogether
Listen to Psalm 139-141
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Psalm 139-141
New International Version

Psalm 139

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

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

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed(M) 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,(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.

Psalm 140[b]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(BO) to me;
    hear me(BP) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(BQ)
    may the lifting up of my hands(BR) be like the evening sacrifice.(BS)

3 Set a guard over my mouth,(BT) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.(BU)
4 Do not let my heart(BV) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds(BW)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.(BX)

5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me(BY)—that is oil on my head.(BZ)
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(CA)
    and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(CB) and breaks up the earth,(CC)
    so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(CD) of the grave.”

8 But my eyes are fixed(CE) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge(CF)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(CG) from the traps set by evildoers,(CH)
    from the snares(CI) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(CJ) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.(CK)

Footnotes

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