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

O Lord, you have searched me and have known me.

2 T hou knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou dost understand my thoughts from afar.

You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off.

3 T hou hast girded my walk and my rest, and hast prepared all my ways.

You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways.

4 F or the word is not even upon my tongue, and, behold, O LORD, thou dost know it altogether.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 T hou hast formed my face and my insides and laid thine hand upon me.

You have beset me and shut me in—behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.

6 T hy knowledge is wonderful beyond my ability to comprehend; it is high, I cannot understand it.

Your knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it.

7 ¶ Where shall I go from thy spirit? or where shall I flee from thy presence?

Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?

8 I f I ascend to the heavens, thou art there: if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.

If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there.

9 I f I take the wings of the dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

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

Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

11 I f I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall shine because of me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be light about me,

12 E ven the darkness does not hide from thee; but the night shines as the day; the darkness is as the light.

Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 F or thou hast possessed my kidneys: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together 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 knows right well.

I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well.

15 M y body was not hid from thee, even though I was made in secret and brought together in the lowest parts of the earth.

My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret intricately and curiously wrought in the depths of the earth.

16 T hine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which were then formed, without lacking one of them.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.

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

How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

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

If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, I would still be with You.

19 S urely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God; depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men.

If You would slay the wicked, O God, and the men of blood depart from me—

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

Who speak against You wickedly, Your enemies who take Your name in vain!

21 D o I not hate all those, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And am I not grieved and do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

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

I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies.

23 S earch me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

24 a nd see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way eternal.

And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.