Tehillim · Psalms
Tehillim Chapter 139
- Author:
- King David
- 24 verses
- Book Five
- Reading time:
- 2 min
- Day 27 of monthly cycle
Chapter 139 of Tehillim belongs to Book Five (chapters 107 through 150), and is traditionally attributed to King David. It contains 24 verses in vocalized Hebrew from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, paired with the JPS 1917 English translation (both public domain).
- לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יְהוָ֥ה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃
- אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּ֣י וְקוּמִ֑י בַּ֥נְתָּה לְ֝רֵעִ֗י מֵרָחֽוֹק׃
- אָרְחִ֣י וְרִבְעִ֣י זֵרִ֑יתָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכַ֥י הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃
- כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃
- אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃
- פלאיה [פְּלִ֣יאָֽה] דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה לֹא־א֥וּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃
- אָ֭נָ֥ה אֵלֵ֣ךְ מֵרוּחֶ֑ךָ וְ֝אָ֗נָה מִפָּנֶ֥יךָ אֶבְרָֽח׃
- אִם־אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃
- אֶשָּׂ֥א כַנְפֵי־שָׁ֑חַר אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית יָֽם׃
- גַּם־שָׁ֭ם יָדְךָ֣ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
- וָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃
- גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃
- כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃
- אֽוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד׃
- לֹא־נִכְחַ֥ד עָצְמִ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ אֲשֶׁר־עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי בַסֵּ֑תֶר רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת אָֽרֶץ׃
- גָּלְמִ֤י ׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֪ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ ולא [וְל֖וֹ] אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃
- וְלִ֗י מַה־יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃
- אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃
- אִם־תִּקְטֹ֖ל אֱל֥וֹהַּ ׀ רָשָׁ֑ע וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י דָ֝מִ֗ים ס֣וּרוּ מֶֽנִּי׃
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹ֭אמְרֻךָ לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשֻׂ֖א לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃
- הֲלֽוֹא־מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶשְׂנָ֑א וּ֝בִתְקוֹמְמֶ֗יךָ אֶתְקוֹטָֽט׃
- תַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃
- חָקְרֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל וְדַ֣ע לְבָבִ֑י בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי וְדַ֣ע שַׂרְעַפָּֽי׃
- וּרְאֵ֗ה אִם־דֶּֽרֶךְ־עֹ֥צֶב בִּ֑י וּ֝נְחֵ֗נִי בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עוֹלָֽם׃
English translation (JPS 1917)
- For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. .
- Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
- Thou measurest my going about and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
- For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.
- Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.
- Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Too high, I cannot attain unto it.
- Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
- If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in the nether-world, behold, Thou art there.
- If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
- Even there would Thy hand lead me, And Thy right hand would hold me.
- And if I say: ‘Surely the darkness shall envelop me, And the light about me shall be night';
- Even the darkness is not too dark for Thee, But the night shineth as the day; The darkness is even as the light.
- For Thou hast made my reins; Thou hast knit me together in my mother's womb.
- I will give thanks unto Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
- My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
- Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance, And in Thy book they were all written— Even the days that were fashioned, When as yet there was none of them.
- How weighty also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
- If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand; Were I to come to the end of them, I would still be with Thee.
- If Thou but wouldest slay the wicked, O God— Depart from me therefore, ye men of blood;
- Who utter Thy name with wicked thought, They take it for falsehood, even Thine enemies— .
- Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And do not I strive with those that rise up against Thee?
- I hate them with utmost hatred; I count them mine enemies.
- Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts;
- And see if there be any way in me that is grievous, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Tehillim Chapter 139: questions and answers
Who wrote Tehillim chapter 139?
According to traditional Jewish attribution, chapter 139 was authored by King David. The book of Tehillim (Psalms) contains 150 chapters compiled by King David, including psalms by ten additional psalmists: Asaph, the sons of Korach, Moses, Heman, Ethan, and others.
How many verses does Psalm 139 have?
Psalm 139 contains 24 verses. The average unhurried reading time is about 2 minutes.
Which of the Five Books of Psalms is chapter 139 in?
Chapter 139 belongs to Book Five (chapters 107 through 150). Parallel to Deuteronomy of the Torah's five books.
When is Psalm 139 read in the 30-day cycle?
Following the traditional 30-day cycle for reading the entire Tehillim once a month, Psalm 139 is read on day 27.
Is the Hebrew text of Psalm 139 pointed (with nikud)?
Yes. The Hebrew text comes from the Westminster Leningrad Codex via the Sefaria public-domain project, including full nikud (vowel pointing) and ta'amei mikra (cantillation marks).
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