Psalm 138 — The Holy Bible

For the End; a psalm by David.

O Lord, You test me and know me;

You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thoughts from afar;

You search out my path and my portion,

And You foresee all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether,

The last things and the first things;

You fashioned me, and placed Your hands on me.

Your knowledge has become too wondrous for me;

It has become too overwhelming; I am unable to grasp it.

Where could I go from Your Spirit,

Or flee from Your face?

If I should ascend into heaven, You would be there;

If I should descend into Hades, You would be there;

If I should take up my wings at dawn

And pitch camp at the furthest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand would lead me,

And Your right hand would hold me.

And I said, “Perhaps darkness shall cover me,”

But the night shall be light to my delight;

For darkness shall not be dark because of You,

And the night shall be bright as day;

As its darkness, so also shall be its light.

For You possess my heart, O Lord;

You took hold of me from my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to You,

For I am fearfully and wondrously made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And my soul knows this very well.

My bone you made in secret was not hidden from You.

And my substance was in the lowest parts of the earth;

Your eyes saw me when I was unformed,

And all men shall be written in Your book;

They shall be formed day by day,

When as yet there were none among them.

Your friends, O God, became very honorable to me;

Their principalities became very strong;

I shall count them,

And they shall be multiplied more than the sand;

I awakened, and I am still with You.

If You should slay sinners, O God,

You would turn aside from me, O men of blood.

For You will say regarding their reasoning,

“They shall receive your cities in vain.”

Have I not hated those who hate You, O Lord?

And was I not wasting away because of Your enemies?

I hated them with perfect hatred;

They became my enemies.

Test me, O God, and know my heart;

Examine me, and know my paths,

And see if there is a lawless way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.