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Psalm 139:8
ESV If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
NIV If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
NASB If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
CSB If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
NLT If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
KJV If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
NKJV If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

What does Psalm 139:8 mean?

This psalm poetically explains God's immense power and knowledge. In this case, David focuses on God's omnipresence: one would find God present in heaven and even in Sheol, the realm of the dead.

For believers, the greatest prospect of heaven is entering the presence of the Lord. Paul was unafraid of death. He viewed it as an escort into the presence of Christ. He wrote: "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better" (Philippians 1:22–23). Proverbs 15:11 states that Sheol is open before the Lord. While death holds no dread for the righteous, the thought of the presence of the Lord in Sheol should grip the wicked with fear.

Amos 9 describes the Lord's judgment on the idol-worshipping wicked. In verse 2 Amos quotes God as saying, "If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down" (Amos 9:2).
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