לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר ה' חֲקַרְתַּנִי וַתֵּדָע

For the chief musician, a psalm by David. Lord, You have searched me, and You know me.

אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּי וְקוּמִי בַּנְתָּה לְרֵעִי מֵרָחוֹק

You know when I sit and when I rise. Every move I make is known to You. You understand my thoughts from afar. You know me inside and out.

אָרְחִי וְרִבְעִי זֵרִיתָ וְכָל דְּרָכַי הִסְכַּנְתָּה

You discern my path and my resting place. You know my actions both when I am traveling on a path and when I am resting in one place. You are familiar with all my ways.

כִּי אֵין מִלָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִי הֵן ה' יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ

Even when there is no word on my tongue, as nothing that I say is new to You, truly, Lord, You know it all, even words that I wish to say but have not yet uttered.

אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה

From back and front, You shaped me. From the outset, You have been as close to me as can possibly be, for You created and shaped me. Moreover, from the beginning, You placed Your palm on me; I have been under Your protection. In this sense of divine intimacy, God always knows and cares for people and, despite His unfathomable greatness, is always close at hand.

פְּלִיאָה דַעַת מִמֶּנִּי נִשְׂגְּבָה לֹא אוּכַל לָהּ

This knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is like a wonder, beyond my comprehension. It is sublime; I cannot reach it. I cannot fathom the fact that You are always with me and that no side of me is unexposed, unexamined, or unrevealed to You.

אָנָה אֵלֵךְ מֵרוּחֶךָ וְאָנָה מִפָּנֶיךָ אֶבְרָח

Where can I go from Your spirit? Even if I wanted to escape from You, to go away and vanish, there is no way I could. And where can I flee from Your presence, since You are everywhere, and in everything?

אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה וְאַצִּיעָה שְּׁאוֹל הִנֶּךָּ

If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I lie down in the netherworld, You are there.

אֶשָּׂא כַנְפֵי שָׁחַר אֶשְׁכְּנָה בְּאַחֲרִית יָם

Were I to travel on the wings of dawn, to the easternmost point, or were I to dwell at the end of the sea, to the west,

גַּם שָׁם יָדְךָ תַנְחֵנִי וְתֹאחֲזֵנִי יְמִינֶךָ

even there Your hand would guide me. No matter how far away I may go, You are there. Your right hand would hold me fast.

וָאֹמַר אַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵנִי וְלַיְלָה אוֹר בַּעֲדֵנִי

Even if I say that darkness will conceal me, that night, for me, is light. In this verse, the word “light” is used euphemistically to mean just the opposite, darkness. Alternatively: Even if I say that darkness conceals me, that would be incorrect, for the night is unable to hide me from You; it is as if the dark night is actually light.

גַּם חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָּ וְלַיְלָה כַּיּוֹם יָאִיר כַּחֲשֵׁיכָה כָּאוֹרָה

Even darkness does not darken for You. No matter how dark the night becomes, it cannot hide me from You. The night, as if day, gives forth light. For You, darkness does not conceal; it is as if night is as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same. Although for us light and darkness are opposites, from God’s perspective, there is no difference between them.

כִּי אַתָּה קָנִיתָ כִלְיֹתָי תְּסֻכֵּנִי בְּבֶטֶן אִמִּי

The psalmist goes on to express the sentiment that everything he has done is actually a result of God’s creation of him. For You formed my innermost parts. From the very beginning, my being has been Your handiwork. Everything in my life stems from Your creation of me, even my innermost, hidden parts. You sheltered me in my mother’s womb.

אוֹדְךָ עַל כִּי נוֹרָאוֹת נִפְלֵיתִי נִפְלָאִים מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְנַפְשִׁי יֹדַעַת מְאֹד

I will give thanks to You, for I was made in a wondrous manner. My complex, unique existence is the work of Your hands. Wonderful are Your works. Your deeds are miraculous both in their entirety and in their smallest details. I know this well.

לֹא נִכְחַד עָצְמִי מִמֶּךָּ; אֲשֶׁר עֻשֵּׂיתִי בַסֵּתֶר רֻקַּמְתִּי בְּתַחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ

My essence was not hidden from You when I was wrought in a secret place, in my mother’s womb. There I was knitted, formed, in a place hidden from sight as though in the depths of the earth.

גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ וְלוֹ אֶחָד בָּהֶם

You recognized and shaped the template of my being, both physical and spiritual. Your eyes saw my unformed parts. You know me not only as I am now, fully formed and distinct, but also as nothing more than a shapeless mass. In Your book, they are all recorded. Every individual is counted and recorded before You. Moreover, God regards each and every day and its events not only in the general sense of a unit of time, but also as a unique entity: Of the days that were created, each one is His.

וְלִי מַה יָּקְרוּ רֵעֶיךָ אֵל מֶה עָצְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶם

How precious to me, when I ponder my reality and my existence as an individual, are thoughts of You, God. I realize how important to me are my thoughts and ideas about You. How vast is their beginning, the essentials, the foundations of my thoughts, concerning God!

אֶסְפְּרֵם מֵחוֹל יִרְבּוּן הֱקִיצֹתִי וְעוֹדִי עִמָּךְ

When I count them, my thoughts about You, Your being, and Your greatness, they outnumber the sand, as they are more numerous than grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with You. These thoughts are with me at all times, whether it is evident to others or not. Although I do not think about You when I sleep, as soon as I awake, I once again find myself close to You.

אִם תִּקְטֹל אֱלוֹהַּ רָשָׁע ואַנְשֵׁי דָמִים סוּרוּ מֶנִּי

As in other psalms contemplating the unity and harmony of God vis-à-vis His world and creations, this psalm also addresses darker matters, namely, flaws and imperfections in the world. These flaws are not intrinsic to creation but rather are the outcome of human behavior. Only humans, who have been given free will, are capable of consciously doing evil; only they can create the blemishes and distortions that mar the world’s harmony. The psalmist thus beseeches God: If only You, God, would slay the wicked, and men of bloodshed would turn away from me, the world would be a brighter place.

אֲשֶׁר יֹמְרוּךָ לִמְזִמָּה נָשׂוּא לַשָּׁוְא עָרֶיךָ

If only you would slay Your enemies, who defy You for the sake of intrigue, exalting themselves in vain. Whenever people aspire to greatness and scheme to promote themselves, their efforts are for naught. The phrase “exalting themselves in vain” refers not only to the outcome of their behavior but also to their very aspirations, which are devoid of any value or substance.

הֲלוֹא מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ ה'אֶשְׂנָא וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ אֶתְקוֹטָט

Although these enemies are not the psalmist’s personal foes, he cannot remain on the sidelines in this war between good and evil. For surely Your enemies, Lord, I hate, and I contend with those who rise against You.

תַּכְלִית שִׂנְאָה שְׂנֵאתִים לְאוֹיְבִים הָיוּ לִי

I hate them with utter hatred; they have become my enemies. I hate them not because they have at any time harmed me or caused me distress, but because I am obligated to take Your part in a war that is essentially directed against You. At the very least, I am obliged to state which side I support and which side I oppose.

חָקְרֵנִי אֵל וְדַע לְבָבִי בְּחָנֵנִי וְדַע שַׂרְעַפָּי

Search me, God, concerning these and other matters, and know my heart. Know that my most profound intentions are directed solely toward You. Test me and know my thoughts,

וּרְאֵה אִם דֶּרֶךְ עֹצֶב בִּי וּנְחֵנִי בְּדֶרֶךְ עוֹלָם

and see if there is any grievous way in me. If You find that my heart’s inclination has in any way led me astray, lead me on the path to eternity; guide me to the right path, that which leads to eternity.