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Psalms 139:1

Psalms 139:2-1953 kjv — Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my l…

King James Version

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.

— Psalms 139:2-1953, King James Version

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Psalms 139:2-1953 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • ASV

    “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me. Suchknowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night; Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both aliketo thee. For thou didst form my inward parts: Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Eventhe days that were ordainedfor me, When as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men. For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. ”

  • WEB

    “You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether. You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. This knowledge is beyond me. It's lofty. I can't attain it. Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; the light around me will be night;" even the darkness doesn't hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you. For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn't hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you. If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men! For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain. Yahweh, don't I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.”

  • NET

    “You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives. You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do. Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O LORD, being thoroughly aware of it. You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me. Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it. Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee to escape your presence? If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea, even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me. If I were to say,“Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,” even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are the same to you. Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence. How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast is their sum total! If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you. If only you would kill the wicked, O God! Get away from me, you violent men! They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies lie. O LORD, do I not hate those who hate you, and despise those who oppose you? I absolutely hate them, they have become my enemies! Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns! See if there is any idolatrous way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way!”

  • DRB

    “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man. Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips. Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me. Who have proposed to supplant my steps: The proud have hidden a net for me. And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumblingblock by the wayside. I said to the Lord: Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication. O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle. Give me not up, O Lord, from my desire to the wicked: they have plotted against me; do not thou forsake me, lest they should triumph. The head of them compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them. Burning coals shall fall upon them; thou wilt cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand. A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evil shall catch the unjust man unto destruction. I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor. But as for the just, they shall give glory to thy name: and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance. ”

  • BBE

    “You have knowledge when I am seated and when I get up, you see my thoughts from far away. You keep watch over my steps and my sleep, and have knowledge of all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue which is not clear to you, O Lord. I am shut in by you on every side, and you have put your hand on me. Such knowledge is a wonder greater than my powers; it is so high that I may not come near it. Where may I go from your spirit? how may I go in flight from you? If I go up to heaven, you are there: or if I make my bed in the underworld, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and go to the farthest parts of the sea; Even there will I be guided by your hand, and your right hand will keep me. If I say, Only let me be covered by the dark, and the light about me be night; Even the dark is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day: for dark and light are the same to you. My flesh was made by you, and my parts joined together in my mother's body. I will give you praise, for I am strangely and delicately formed; your works are great wonders, and of this my soul is fully conscious. My frame was not unseen by you when I was made secretly, and strangely formed in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book all my days were recorded, even those which were purposed before they had come into being. How dear are your thoughts to me, O God! how great is the number of them! If I made up their number, it would be more than the grains of sand; when I am awake, I am still with you. If only you would put the sinners to death, O God; go far from me, you men of blood. For they go against you with evil designs, and your haters make sport of your name. Are not your haters hated by me, O Lord? are not those who are lifted up against you a cause of grief to me? My hate for them is complete; my thoughts of them are as if they were making war on me. O God, let the secrets of my heart be uncovered, and let my wandering thoughts be tested: See if there is any way of sorrow in me, and be my guide in the eternal way.”

  • KJVA

    “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 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. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ”

Psalms 139 — Context

1

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.

Psalms 139:2-1953 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Psalms 139:2-1953 say?
Psalms 139:2-1953 in the King James Version reads: “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 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. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ”
Where is Psalms 139:2-1953 in the Bible?
Psalms 139:2-1953 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Psalms, chapter 139, verses 2–1953.
Who wrote Psalms?
Psalms is traditionally attributed to Multiple authors (David, Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others). Approximately 73 psalms are attributed to David; others to Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, Heman, and Ethan; the remainder are anonymous. It was written c. 1410–430 BC.
What is the book of Psalms about?
The Psalms are the prayer book and hymnal of God's people, gathering a thousand years of inspired song — praise, lament, thanksgiving, confession, and royal and messianic worship. Every emotion of the believing heart finds a voice here, and every voice finds its center in Christ.
What are the major themes of Psalms?
Psalms explores themes including Praise, Lament, Trust, Messiah, Refuge, Kingship. These themes shape the meaning and context of Psalms 139:2-1953.
What translation should I read Psalms 139:2-1953 in?
Psalms 139:2-1953 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Psalms 139:2-1953?
Psalms 139:2-1953 reads (KJV): “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 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. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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