TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 139
Translation and Transliteration of
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1For the leader. Of David. A psalm. Hashem, You have examined me and know me.
la-menatze-akh le-da-VID miz-MOR, a-do-NAI kha-kar-TA-nee va-tay-DA
אלַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יְהֹוָ֥ה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃
2When I sit down or stand up You know it; You discern my thoughts from afar.
a-TAH ya-DA-ta shiv-TEE v'-ku-MI, ban-TAH l'-ray-EE may-ra-KHOK
באַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּ֣י וְקוּמִ֑י בַּ֥נְתָּה לְ֝רֵעִ֗י מֵרָחֽוֹק׃
3You observe my walking and reclining, and are familiar with all my ways.
o-r'-khi v'-riv-i ze-ri-TA v'-kol d'-ra-KHAI his-KAN-ta
גאׇרְחִ֣י וְרִבְעִ֣י זֵרִ֑יתָ וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכַ֥י הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃
4There is not a word on my tongue but that You, Hashem, know it well.
ki EIN mi-LAH bil-SHO-ni, HEN a-do-NAI ya-DA-ta KU-la.
דכִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃
5You hedge me before and behind; You lay Your hand upon me.
a-KHOR va-KE-dem tzar-TA-nee va-TA-shet a-LAI ka-PE-kha
האָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃
6It is beyond my knowledge; it is a mystery; I cannot fathom it.
(pe-li-AH) [p'-li-YA] da-AT mi-me-NI, nis-ge-VAH lo-u-KHAL LAH
ו(פלאיה) [פְּלִ֣יאָֽה] דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה לֹא־א֥וּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃
7Where can I escape from Your spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
a-NAH e-LEKH me-ru-KHE-kha v'-a-NAH mi-PA-ne-KHA ev-RAKH
זאָ֭נָ֥ה אֵלֵ֣ךְ מֵרוּחֶ֑ךָ וְ֝אָ֗נָה מִפָּנֶ֥יךָ אֶבְרָֽח׃
8If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I descend to Sheol, You are there too.
im-es-SAK sha-MA-yim sham a-TAH v'-a-tsi-AH she-OL hi-NE-kha
חאִם־אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃
9If I take wing with the dawn to come to rest on the western horizon,
e-SAH khan-FAY sha-KHAR, esh-K'-NAH b'-a-kha-REET yam.
טאֶשָּׂ֥א כַנְפֵי־שָׁ֑חַר אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית יָֽם׃
10even there Your hand will be guiding me, Your right hand will be holding me fast.
gam-SHAM ya-d'-KHA tan-KHE-ni v'-to-a-KHA-ze-ni ye-mi-NE-kha
יגַּם־שָׁ֭ם יָדְךָ֣ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
11If I say, “Surely darkness will conceal me, night will provide me with cover,”
va-o-MAR akh-KHO-shekh ye-shu-FE-ni, v'-la-y'-LAH ohr ba-a-DE-ni
יאוָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃
12darkness is not dark for You; night is as light as day; darkness and light are the same.
gam-KHO-shekh lo yakh-SHEEKH mi-ME-kha, v'-la-y'-LAH ka-YOM ya-EER, ka-kha-SHE-khah ka-o-RAH
יבגַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹא־יַחְשִׁ֢יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃
13It was You who created my conscience; You fashioned me in my mother's womb.
ki-a-TAH ka-NEE-ta khl'-yo-TAI, t'-su-KAY-nee b'-BE-ten i-MEE
יגכִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃
14I praise You, for I am awesomely, wondrously made; Your work is wonderful; I know it very well.
o-d'-KHA AL KEE no-ra-OT nif-LAY-tee nif-la-EEM ma-a-SE-kha v'-naf-SHEE yo-DA-at m'-OD
ידאוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נֽוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד׃
139:14 Your work is wonderful
Ancient ruins at Beit Shean
Many of the Sages and commentators see references in this psalm to the story of Adam and Chava. The early awareness of Hashem, the fashioning of men, the ascending and descending to find God, as well as the notion of the first darkness to befall him, are all reminiscent of this biblical story. Where might this story of the Garden of Eden have taken place? According to Resh Lakish, a Babylonian scholar in the Talmud (Eiruvin 19a), “If the Garden of Eden is in the Land of Israel, then Beit Shean is its gate.” Ancient Beit Shean was located at the intersection of the Jezreel valley and the Jordan Valley. There, the Gilboa mountain waters emerge into lush springs at the foot of the mountains creating an oasis of water, vegetation, and warm climate which served as the impetus for the thriving ancient city of Beit Shean. Perhaps it is this place, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, which inspired the psalmist to write about the advent of man and his nascent relationship with Hashem.
15My frame was not concealed from You when I was shaped in a hidden place, knit together in the recesses of the earth.
lo-nikh-KHAD o-tz-MEE mi-ME-kha a-SHER-u-SEI-tee va-SE-TER ru-KAM-tee b'-ta-kh'-TI-yot a-RETZ
טולֹֽא־נִכְחַ֥ד עׇצְמִ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ אֲשֶׁר־עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי בַסֵּ֑תֶר רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת אָֽרֶץ׃
16Your eyes saw my unformed limbs; they were all recorded in Your book; in due time they were formed, to the very last one of them.
GOL-mi ra-U ay-NE-kha v'-al si-f'-RE-kha ku-LAM yi-ka-TE-vu ya-MEEM yu-TZA-ru (v'-LO) [v'-LO] e-KHAD ba-HEM
טזגׇּלְמִ֤י ׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֢ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ (ולא) [וְל֖וֹ] אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃
17How weighty Your thoughts seem to me, O Hashem, how great their number!
v'-LI mah ya-K'-RU re-E-kha EL meh a-TZ'-MU ra-SHE-hem
יזוְלִ֗י מַה־יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמ֗וּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃
18I count them—they exceed the grains of sand; I end—but am still with You.
e-s'-PE-rem me-KHOL yir-BU-n, he-ki-TZO-tee v'-o-DEE i-MACH
יחאֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃
19O Hashem, if You would only slay the wicked— you murderers, away from me!—
im-tik-TOL e-LO-a RASH-a, v'-an-SHEI da-MEEM SU-ru ME-ni
יטאִם־תִּקְטֹ֖ל אֱל֥וֹהַּ ׀ רָשָׁ֑ע וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י דָ֝מִ֗ים ס֣וּרוּ מֶֽנִּי׃
20who invoke You for intrigue, Your enemies who swear by You falsely.
a-SHER yo-M'-RU-kha lim-ZI-ma NA-su la-SHA-ve a-RE-kha
כאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹ֭מְרוּךָ לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשׂ֖וּא לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃
21Hashem, You know I hate those who hate You, and loathe Your adversaries.
ha-LO m'-sa-NE-kha a-do-NAI, es-NA, u-vit-ko-m'-ME-kha et-ko-TOT
כאהֲלֽוֹא־מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶשְׂנָ֑א וּ֝בִתְקוֹמְמֶ֗יךָ אֶתְקוֹטָֽט׃
22I feel a perfect hatred toward them; I count them my enemies.
takh-LEET sin-AH se-NEE-tim, l'-o-y'-VEE-yim ha-YU lee
כבתַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃
23Examine me, O Hashem, and know my mind; probe me and know my thoughts.
khok-REY-nee el v'-DA l'-va-VEE b'-kha-NEY-nee v'-DA sar-a-PAI
כגחׇקְרֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל וְדַ֣ע לְבָבִ֑י בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי וְדַ֣ע שַׂרְעַפָּֽי׃
24See if I have vexatious ways, and guide me in ways everlasting.
u-re-EH im-DE-rekh-o-TZEV bi u-ne-CHE-ni b'-DE-rekh o-LAM.
כדוּרְאֵ֗ה אִם־דֶּֽרֶךְ־עֹ֥צֶב בִּ֑י וּ֝נְחֵ֗נִי בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עוֹלָֽם׃
