Psalm 138
Ψαλμοί
Psalm 139 in the Hebrew numbering, which most Western Bibles follow.
1 Εἰς τὸ τέλος· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ. ΚΥΡΙΕ, ἐδοκίμασάς με, καὶ ἔγνως με·
(139) For the end, a Psalm of David. O Lord, you have proved me, and known me.
2 σὺ ἔγνως τὴν καθέδραν μου καὶ τὴν ἔγερσίν μου, σὺ συνῆκας τοὺς διαλογισμούς μου ἀπὸ μακρόθεν·
You know my down-sitting and my up-rising: you understand my thoughts long before.
3 τὴν τρίβον μου καὶ τὴν σχοῖνόν μου ἐξιχνίασας καὶ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς μου προεῖδες,
You have traced my path and my bed, and have foreseen all my ways.
4 ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι δόλος ἐν γλώσσῃ μου.
For there is no unrighteous word in my tongue: behold, O Lord, you have known all things,
5 ἰδού, Κύριε, σὺ ἔγνως πάντα, τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα· σὺ ἔπλασάς με καὶ ἔθηκας ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου.
the last and the first: you have fashioned me, and laid your hand upon me.
6 ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ· ἐκραταιώθη, οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν.
The knowledge of you is too wonderful for me; it is very difficult, I can’t [attain] to it.
7 ποῦ πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου ποῦ φύγω;
Whither shall I go from your Spirit? and whither shall I flee from your presence?
8 ἐὰν ἀναβῶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, σὺ ἐκεῖ εἶ, ἐὰν καταβῶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, πάρει·
If I should go up to heaven, you are there: if I should go down to hell, you are present.
9 ἐὰν ἀναλάβοιμι τὰς πτέρυγάς μου κατ᾿ ὄρθρον καὶ κατασκηνώσω εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα τῆς θαλάσσης,
If I should spread my wings [to fly] straight forward, and sojourn at the extremity of the sea, [it would be vain],
10 καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἡ χείρ σου ὁδηγήσει με, καὶ καθέξει με ἡ δεξιά σου.
for even there your hand would guide me, and your right hand would hold me.
11 καὶ εἶπα· ἄρα σκότος καταπατήσει με, καὶ νὺξ φωτισμὸς ἐν τῇ τρυφῇ μου·
When I said, Surely the darkness will cover me; even the night [was] light in my luxury.
12 ὅτι σκότος οὐ σκοτισθήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ νὺξ ὡς ἡμέρα φωτισθήσεται· ὡς τὸ σκότος αὐτῆς, οὕτως καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς.
For darkness will not be darkness with you; but night will be light as day: as its darkness, so shall its light [be to you].
13 ὅτι σὺ ἐκτήσω τοὺς νεφρούς μου, Κύριε, ἀντελάβου μου ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρός μου.
For you, O Lord, have possessed my reins; you have helped me from my mother's womb.
14 ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὅτι φοβερῶς ἐθαυμαστώθης· θαυμάσια τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου γινώσκει σφόδρα.
I will give you thanks; for you are fearfully wondrous; wondrous are your works; and my soul knows [it] well.
15 οὐκ ἐκρύβη τὸ ὀστοῦν μου ἀπὸ σοῦ, ὃ ἐποίησας ἐν κρυφῇ, καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου ἐν τοῖς κατωτάτοις τῆς γῆς·
My bones, which you made in secret were not hidden from you, nor my substance, in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 τὸ ἀκατέργαστόν μου εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον σου πάντες γραφήσονται· ἡμέρας πλασθήσονται καὶ οὐθεὶς ἐν αὐτοῖς.
Your eyes saw my unwrought [substance], and all [men] shall be written in your book; they shall be formed by day, though [there should for a time] be no one amongst them.
17 ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου, ὁ Θεός, λίαν ἐκραταιώθησαν αἱ ἀρχαὶ αὐτῶν·
But your friends, O God, have been greatly honoured by me; their rule has been greatly strengthened.
18 ἐξαριθμήσομαι αὐτούς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄμμον πληθυνθήσονται· ἐξηγέρθην καὶ ἔτι εἰμὶ μετὰ σοῦ.
I will number them, and they shall be multiplied beyond the sand; I awake, and am still with you.
19 ἐὰν ἀποκτείνῃς ἁμαρτωλούς, ὁ Θεός, ἄνδρες αἱμάτων, ἐκκλίνατε ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ,
Oh that you would kill the wicked, O God; depart from me, you⌃ men of blood.
20 ὅτι ἐρισταί ἐστε εἰς διαλογισμούς· λήψονται εἰς ματαιότητα τὰς πόλεις σου.
For you will say concerning [their] thought, [that] they shall take your cities in vain.
21 οὐχὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε, Κύριε, ἐμίσησα καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἐξετηκόμην;
Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hate you? and wasted away because of your enemies?
22 τέλειον μῖσος ἐμίσουν αὐτούς, εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἐγένοντό μοι.
I have hated them with perfect hatred; they were counted my enemies.
23 δοκίμασόν με, ὁ Θεός, καὶ γνῶθι τὴν καρδίαν μου, ἔτασόν με καὶ γνῶθι τὰς τρίβους μου.
Prove me, O God, and know my heart; examine me, and know my paths;
24 καὶ ἴδε εἰ ὁδὸς ἀνομίας ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ ὁδήγησόν με ἐν ὁδῷ αἰωνίᾳ.
and see if [there is any] way of iniquity in me, and lead me in an everlasting way.
Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.