| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. | 1For the choir director. A Davidic psalm. LORD, You have searched me and known me. |
| 2You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. | 2You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. |
| 3You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. | 3You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. |
| 4For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. | 4Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD. |
| 5You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. | 5You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. |
| 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. | 6This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. |
| 7Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? | 7Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? |
| 8If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. | 8If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. |
| 9If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, | 9If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, |
| 10Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. | 10even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me. |
| 11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; | 11If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night"-- |
| 12Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. | 12even the darkness is not dark to You. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You. |
| 13For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. | 13For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb. |
| 14I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. | 14I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. |
| 15My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. | 15My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. |
| 16Your 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. | 16Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began. |
| 17How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! | 17God, how difficult Your thoughts are for me to comprehend; how vast their sum is! |
| 18If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. | 18If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with You. |
| 19Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. | 19God, if only You would kill the wicked-- you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me-- |
| 20For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. | 20who invoke You deceitfully. Your enemies swear by You falsely. |
| 21Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? | 21 LORD, don't I hate those who hate You, and detest those who rebel against You? |
| 22I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. | 22I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies. |
| 23Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; | 23Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. |
| 24And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. | 24See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. |
|
