Psalms 139
A psalm on God's intimate knowledge of every life.
Psalm 139 opens with the striking claim that God has "searched me, and known me," tracing His awareness of every thought, word, and movement, a theme summarized in Psalms 139:1. It follows the confident praise of Psalms 138 with an even more personal meditation on being fully known.
The `title of the hundrid and nyne and thrittithe `salm. To victorie, the salm of Dauith.
Lord, delyuere thou me fro an yuel man; delyuere thou me fro a wickid man.
Whiche thouyten wickidnesses in the herte; al dai thei ordeyneden batels.
Thei scharpiden her tungis as serpentis; the venym of snakis vndir the lippis of hem.
Lord, kepe thou me fro the hond of the synnere; and delyuere thou me fro wickid men. Which thouyten to disseyue my goyngis;
proude men hidden a snare to me. And thei leiden forth cordis in to a snare; thei settiden sclaundir to me bisidis the weie.
I seide to the Lord, Thou art mi God; Lord, here thou the vois of my biseching.
Lord, Lord, the vertu of myn heelthe; thou madist schadowe on myn heed in the dai of batel.
Lord, bitake thou not me fro my desire to the synnere; thei thouyten ayens me, forsake thou not me, lest perauenture thei ben enhaunsid.
The heed of the cumpas of hem; the trauel of her lippis schal hile hem.
Colis schulen falle on hem, thou schalt caste hem doun in to fier; in wretchidnessis thei schulen not stonde.
A man a greet ianglere schal not be dressid in erthe; yuels schulen take an vniust man in perisching.
I haue knowe, that the Lord schal make dom of a nedi man; and the veniaunce of pore men.
Netheles iust men schulen knouleche to thi name; and riytful men schulen dwelle with thi cheer.