Psalms 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there, we sat down, yea we wept—when we remembered Zion:

Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:

2 Upon the willows—in the midst thereof, hanged we our lyres:

On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.

3 For, there, our captors asked of us words of song, and our plunderers—gladness, —Sing us of the songs of Zion!

For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.

4 How shall we sing the song of Yahweh, on a foreign soil?

How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right-hand forget:

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.

6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember thee! if I do not lift up Jerusalem above the head of mine own gladness.

Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.

7 Remember, O Yahweh, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, —how they continued to say—Overthrow! Overthrow! unto the foundation within it.

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

8 O ruined daughter of Babylon, —how happy the man who shall repay thee thy dealing, wherewith thou didst deal with us!

O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us.

9 How happy the man who shall snatch away and dash thy children against the crag.

Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.