Psalms 137

1By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion.

1For David himself. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels:

1By rivers of Babylon--There we did sit, Yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

1By the rivers of Babylon we were seated, weeping at the memory of Zion,

2Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.

2I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

2On willows in its midst we hung our harps.

2Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside.

3For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

3In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.

3For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers--joy: `Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'

3For there those who had taken us prisoners made request for a song; and those who had taken away all we had gave us orders to be glad, saying, Give us one of the songs of Zion.

4How shall we sing Jehovah’s song In a foreign land?

4May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

4How do we sing the song of Jehovah, On the land of a stranger?

4How may we give the Lord's song in a strange land?

5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her skill.

5And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, my right hand forgetteth!

5If I keep not your memory, O Jerusalem, let not my right hand keep the memory of its art.

6Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I remember thee not; If I prefer not Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

6For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.

6My tongue doth cleave to my palate, If I do not remember thee, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.

6If I let you go out of my thoughts, and if I do not put Jerusalem before my greatest joy, let my tongue be fixed to the roof of my mouth.

7Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem; Who said, Rase it, rase it, Even to the foundation thereof.

7If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.

7Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Those saying, `Rase, rase to its foundation!'

7O Lord, keep in mind against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem; how they said, Let it be uncovered, uncovered even to its base.

8O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us.

8The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the works of thy hands.

8O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.

8O daughter of Babylon, whose fate is destruction; happy is the man who does to you what you have done to us.

9Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.

9(not in this translation)

9O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!

9Happy is the man who takes your little ones, crushing them against the rocks.