Psalm 138

A THANKFUL HEART

Of David.

1 I will give you thanks with all my heart;ab

I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.B,ac

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name

for your constant love and truth.

You have exalted your name

and your promise above everything else.A,a

3 On the day I called, you answered me;

you increased strength within me.B,b

4 All the kings on earth will give you thanks, Lord,

when they hear what you have promised.C,c

5 They will sing of the Lord’s ways,

for the Lord’s glory is great.d

6 Though the Lord is exalted,

he takes note of the humble;

but he knows the haughty from a distance.e

7 If I walk into the thick of danger,

you will preserve my life

from the anger of my enemies.f

You will extend your hand;

your right hand will save me.g

8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.h

Lord, your faithful love endures forever;

do not abandon the work of your hands.i

Psalm 139

THE ALL-KNOWING, EVER-PRESENT GOD

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, you have searched me and known me.j

2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;

you understand my thoughts from far away.k

3 You observe my travels and my rest;

you are aware of all my ways.l

4 Before a word is on my tongue,

you know all about it, Lord.m

5 You have encircled me;

you have placed your hand on me.n

6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.

It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.o

7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?p

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;q

if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.r

9 If I live at the eastern horizon

or settle at the western limits,D

10 even there your hand will lead me;

your right hand will hold on to me.s

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,

and the light around me will be night”t—

12 even the darkness is not dark to you.

The night shines like the day;

darkness and light are alike to you.u

13 For it was you who created my inward parts;E

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.v

14 I will praise you

because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.F,B

Your works are wondrous,

and I know this very well.w

15 My bones were not hidden from you

when I was made in secret,

when I was formed in the depths of the earth.x

16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;

all my days were written in your book and planned

before a single one of them began.y

17 God, how preciousG your thoughts are to me;

how vast their sum is!

18 If I counted them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand;z

when I wake up,H I am still with you.aa

19 God, if only you would kill the wicked—

you bloodthirsty men, stay away from meab—

20 who invoke you deceitfully.

Your enemies swear by you falsely.ac

21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you,

and detest those who rebel against you?

22 I hate them with extreme hatred;

I consider them my enemies.ad

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns.a

24 See if there is any offensiveA way in me;

lead me in the everlasting way.b

Psalm 140

PRAYER FOR RESCUE

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

1 Rescue me, Lord, from evil men.

Keep me safe from violent menc

2 who plan evil in their hearts.

They stir up wars all day long.d

3 They make their tongues

as sharp as a snake’s bite;

viper’s venom is under their lips.e

Selah

4 Protect me, Lord,

from the power of the wicked.f

Keep me safe from violent men

who plan to make me stumble.B,g

5 The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;

they spread a net along the path

and set snares for me.h

Selah

6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”

Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.i

7 Lord, my Lord, my strong Savior,

you shield my head on the day of battle.j

8 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;

do not let them achieve their goals.

Otherwise, they will become proud.k

Selah

9 When those who surround me rise up,C

may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.l

10 Let hot coals fall on them.

Let them be thrown into the fire,

into the abyss, never again to rise.m

11 Do not let a slanderer stay in the land.

Let evil relentlesslyD hunt down a violent man.n

12 IE know that the Lord upholds

the just cause of the poor,

justice for the needy.o

13 Surely the righteous will praise your name;

the upright will live in your presence.p