Psalms 137

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

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

2 On willows in its midst we hung our harps.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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