Psalm 139

Common Metre (8,6,8,6)

Suggested Tunes:

(vv.1-6) 106 St Anne, 105 St Andrew

(vv.7-16) 25 Ayrshire, 112 St Flavian

(vv.17-24) 76 Huddersfield, 115 St James

1 O Lord , thou hast me search’d and known.
2 Thou know’st my sitting down,
And rising up; yea, all my thoughts
afar to thee are known.
3 My footsteps, and my lying down,
thou compassest always;
Thou also most entirely art
acquaint with all my ways.

4 For in my tongue, before I speak,
not any word can be,
But altogether, lo, O Lord,
it is well known to thee.
5 Behind, before, thou hast beset,
and laid on me thine hand.
6 Such knowledge is too strange for me,
too high to understand.

St Anne

St Andrew

7 From thy Sp’rit whither shall I go?
or from thy presence fly?
8 Ascend I heav’n, lo, thou art there;
there, if in hell I lie.
9 Take I the morning wings, and dwell
in utmost parts of sea;
10 Ev’n there, Lord, shall thy hand me lead,
thy right hand hold shall me.

11 If I do say that darkness shall
me cover from thy sight,
Then surely shall the very night
about me be as light.
12 Yea, darkness hideth not from thee,
but night doth shine as day:
To thee the darkness and the light
are both alike alway.

13 For thou possessed hast my reins,
and thou hast cover’d me,
When I within my mother’s womb
inclosed was by thee.
14 Thee will I praise; for fearfully
and strangely made I am;
Thy works are marv’llous, and right well
my soul doth know the same.

15 My substance was not hid from thee,
when as in secret I
Was made; and in earth’s lowest parts
was wrought most curiously.
16 Thine eyes my substance did behold,
yet being unperfect;
And in the volume of thy book
my members all were writ;

Which after in continuance
were fashion’d ev’ry one,
When as they yet all shapeless were,
and of them there was none.

Ayrshire

St Flavian

17 How precious also are thy thoughts,
O gracious God, to me!
And in their sum how passing great
and numberless they be!

18 If I should count them, than the sand
they more in number be:
What time soever I awake,
I ever am with thee.
19 Thou, Lord, wilt sure the wicked slay:
hence from me bloody men.
20 Thy foes against thee loudly speak,
and take thy name in vain.

21 Do not I hate all those, O Lord,
that hatred bear to thee?
With those that up against thee rise
can I but grieved be?
22 With perfect hatred them I hate,
my foes I them do hold.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart,
try me, my thoughts unfold:

24 And see if any wicked way
there be at all in me;
And in thine everlasting way
to me a leader be.

Huddersfield

St James