To the Chief Musician, David’s. A Melody.

¹ O Yahweh! thou hast searched me, and observed:

² Thou, hast observed my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast given heed to my desire, from afar:

³ My path and my couch, hast thou examined, and, all my ways, thou well knowest.

⁴ Surely there hath not been a word on my tongue, [but] behold! O Yahweh, thou hast observed it on every side.

⁵ Behind and before, hast thou shut me in, and hast laid upon me thy hand:—

⁶ Knowledge, too wonderful, for me! high, I cannot attain to it!

⁷ Whither can I go from thy spirit? or whither, from thy face, can I flee?

⁸ If I ascend the heavens, there, thou art! If I spread out hades as my couch, behold thee!

⁹ If I mount the wings of the dawn, settle down in the region beyond the sea,

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

¹¹ If I say, Surely, darkness, shall cover me! then, night, is light about me.

¹² Even darkness, will not conceal from thee,—but, night, like day, will shine, So is the darkness, as the light!

¹³ For, thou, didst possess thyself of my reins, thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother.

¹⁴ I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, and, mine own soul, is observing [them] intently!

¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee,—when I was made in secret, when I was skilfully figured in the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Mine unfinished substance, thine eyes beheld, and, in thy book, all the parts thereof were written,—the days they should be fashioned! while yet there was not one among them.

¹⁷ To me, then, how precious have thy desires become, O GOD! How numerous, the heads of them!

¹⁸ I would recount them! Beyond the sands, they multiply, I rouse myself—and am still with thee.

¹⁹ Wilt thou not, O GOD, slay the lawless one? Therefore, ye men of bloodshed, depart from me!

²⁰ For they speak of thee wickedly, Thy foes lift up [their hand] unto falsehood.

²¹ Do I not hate, them who hate thee, O Yahweh? And loathe, them who rise up against thee?

²² With completeness of hatred, I hate them, As enemies, have they become to me.

²³ Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;

²⁴ And see if there be any idol-way in me, and lead me in a way age-abiding.