Psalm 138

1  A Psalm Of David. I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.

6 Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.

8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Psalm 139

God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

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

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!

18  If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.

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

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

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140

Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men,

2 Who plan evil things in their hearts;
They continually gather together for war.

3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah

6 I said to the Lord: “You are my God;
Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further his wicked scheme,
Lest they be exalted. Selah

9 “ As for the head of those who surround me,
Let the evil of their lips cover them;

10 Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him. ”

12 I know that the Lord will maintain
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.