Psalm 139-141
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 139
The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.(A)
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.(B)
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.(C)
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.(D)
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.(E)
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.(F)
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?(G)
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.(H)
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.(I)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and night wraps itself around me,”[a](J)
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.(K)
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.(L)
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.(M)
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.(N)
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.[b]
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!(O)
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end[c]—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—(P)
20 those who speak of you maliciously
and lift themselves up against you for evil![d](Q)
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?(R)
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.(S)
24 See if there is any wicked[e] way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.[f](T)
Psalm 140
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from those who are violent,(U)
2 who plan evil things in their minds
and stir up wars continually.(V)
3 They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,
and under their lips is the venom of vipers. Selah(W)
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent
who have planned my downfall.(X)
5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net,[g]
along the road they have set snares for me. Selah(Y)
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God;
give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.”(Z)
7 O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.(AA)
8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot.[h] Selah(AB)
9 Those who surround me lift up their heads;[i]
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!(AC)
10 Let burning coals fall on them!
Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!(AD)
11 Do not let the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil speedily hunt down the violent!(AE)
12 I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy
and executes justice for the poor.(AF)
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall live in your presence.(AG)
Psalm 141
Prayer for Preservation from Evil
A Psalm of David.
1 I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me;
give ear to my voice when I call to you.(AH)
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you
and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.(AI)
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not turn my heart to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with those who work iniquity;
do not let me eat of their delicacies.(AJ)
5 Let the righteous strike me;
let the faithful correct me.
Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head,[j]
for my prayer is continually[k] against their wicked deeds.(AK)
6 When they are given over to those who shall condemn them,
then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.
7 Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land,
so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.[l](AL)
8 But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.(AM)
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers.(AN)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I alone escape.(AO)
Footnotes
- 139.11 Q ms: MT and the light around me become night
- 139.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 139.18 Or I awake
- 139.20 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 139.24 Heb hurtful
- 139.24 Or the ancient way
- 140.5 Or they have spread cords as a net
- 140.8 Heb adds they are exalted
- 140.9 Cn: Heb those who surround me are uplifted in head
- 141.5 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 141.5 Cn: Heb for continually and my prayer
- 141.7 Meaning of Heb of 141.5–7 is uncertain
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
- Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
- 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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