The Knowledge of God

¹ Lord, you have searched me and known me. ² You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. ³ You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. ⁵ You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. ⁶ This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. ⁷ Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. ⁹ If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, ¹⁰ even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”— ¹² even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you. ¹³ For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. ¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 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. ¹⁷ God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! ¹⁸ If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you. ¹⁹ God, if only you would kill the wicked— you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me— ²⁰ who invoke you deceitfully. Your enemies swear by you falsely. 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. ²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.