Back to BooksSimple English

Psalms

A collection of songs and prayers expressing a wide range of emotions and thoughts on faith.

Chapter 139

Back to Chapters

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

*O GOD, you have looked inside me and understood me.

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

*You know when I sit down and stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

*You watch over my life's journey and my resting times, and you know everything about how I live.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

*For I can't say any word without you knowing it all, Lord.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

*You have surrounded me on all sides and placed your hand on me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

*This knowledge is too amazing for me; it's very high and I can't reach it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

*Where should I go away from your spirit, or where can I run from your presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

*If I go to heaven, you are there; if I go to the worst place, you are still there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

*If I have the morning's wings and live far in the deep sea.

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

*There, your hand will guide me, and your right hand will support me.

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

*If I say that darkness will hide me, the night will still be bright around 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.

*Yes, darkness doesn't hide you; even at night, it's bright like daytime. Darkness and light are all the same to you.

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

*You have controlled my life: you were with me from the moment I was in my mom's belly.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

*I will thank you because I am amazingly and wonderfully created: your works are incredible, and my soul understands this very 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.

*You always knew everything about me even when I was formed in secret and carefully created deep underground.

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.

*Your eyes saw me even though I wasn't complete, and you wrote down every part of me before they were formed, when nothing of them existed yet.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

*How valuable your thoughts, God, are to me! So many of them are so great!

18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

*If I try to count them, there are way too many; as numerous as grains of sand on a beach. Even when I wake up, you're still by my side.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

*God will definitely punish the evil people; so leave me alone, you violent people.

20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

*They say bad things about you, and your enemies use your name in a wrong way.

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

*"Lord, do I not hate those who hate you? And am I not upset with those who oppose you?"

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

*I strongly dislike them completely: I consider them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

*Check me, God, and understand my feelings: test me, and see what I'm thinking:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

*Check for any bad actions in me and guide me to the eternal path.

read summary

Back to Chapters

Back to Books

* work in progress, there will be mistakes