¹For the music director, a psalm of David. O Lord, you examine me and know me. ²You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives. ³You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do.⁴Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.⁵You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.⁶Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.⁷Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee to escape your presence? ⁸If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.⁹If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the other side of the sea, ¹⁰even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me.¹¹If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,”¹²even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are the same to you.¹³Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly; ¹⁵my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.¹⁷How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast is their sum total.¹⁸If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.¹⁹If only you would kill the wicked, O God! Get away from me, you violent men! ²⁰They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies lie. ²¹O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you and despise those who oppose you?²²I absolutely hate them; they have become my enemies. ²³Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts. Test me, and know my concerns. ²⁴See if there is any idolatrous way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.