Psalms 138
1 For the end, a Psalm of David.aAlex. + of Zacharias in the dispersion.
O Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and
mine up-rising: thou understandest my thoughts
bGr. from afar.long before. 3 Thou hast traced my
path and my
cq. d. of rushes, lit. rush.bed, and hast foreseen all my ways.
4 For there is no unrighteous word in
my tongue: behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things,
5 the last and the first: thou hast
fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 The knowledge of thee is too
wonderful for me; it is very difficult, I cannot
attain to it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
and whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I should go up to heaven, thou
art there: if I should go down to hell, thou art present.
9 If I should spread my wings
to fly
dAlex. κατ᾿ ὄρθον, toward the dawn.straight forward, and sojourn at the extremity of the sea,
it would be vain,
10 for even there thy hand would
guide me, and thy right hand would hold me.
11 When I said, Surely the darkness
will cover me; even the night was light in my
eComp. Heb.luxury. 12 For darkness will not be
darkness with thee; but night will be light as day: as its darkness, so shall
its light be to thee.
13 For thou, O Lord, hast possessed
my reins; thou hast helped me from my mother's womb.
14 I will give thee thanks; for thou
art fearfully wondrous; wondrous are thy works; and my soul knows
it well.
15 My bones which thou madest in
secret were not hidden from thee, nor my substance, in the lowest parts of the
earth. 16 Thine eyes saw my unwrought
substance, and all men shall
be written in thy book; they shall be formed by day, though
there should for a time be no one among them.
17 But thy friends, O God, have been
greatly honoured by me; their rule has been greatly strengthened.
18 I will number them, and they shall
be multiplied beyond the sand; I awake, and am still with thee.
19 Oh that thou wouldest slay the
wicked, O God; depart from me, ye men of blood.
20 For thou wilt say concerning
their thought, that they
shall take thy cities in vain.
21 Have I not hated them, O Lord,
that hate thee? and wasted away because of thine enemies?
22 I have hated them with perfect
hatred; they were counted my enemies.
23 Prove me, O God, and know my
heart; examine me, and know my paths;
24 and see if
there is any way of iniquity in me, and lead me in an
everlasting way.