Psalms 137
1 When we sat down by the rivers of Babylon we wept as we remembered Zion.
When we [had been taken to] Babylonia, [far from Jerusalem], we sat down by the rivers there, and we cried when we thought about [the temple on] Zion [Hill in Jerusalem].
2 We hung up our harps on the willow trees.
On the willow trees [alongside the rivers] we hung our harps [because we did not want to play them any more because we were very sad].
3 For those who had taken us captive asked us for a song—our tormentors wanted us to sing a happy song from Jerusalem.
The [soldiers] who had captured us [and taken us to Babylonia] told us to sing [for them]; they told us to (entertain them/make them happy), saying, “Sing for us one of the songs [that you previously sang in] Jerusalem!”
4 But how could we sing a song dedicated to the Lord in a pagan land?
But [we thought], “We [are sad because we have been punished by Yahweh and brought to this] foreign land, so we cannot [RHQ] sing songs about Yahweh while we are here!”
5 If I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand forget how to play;
If I forget about Jerusalem [APO], Iet my right hand wither [with the result that I will be unable to play my harp]
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you—if I don't consider Jerusalem my greatest joy.
Do not allow me to sing again [MTY], if I forget about Jerusalem, if I do not consider that Jerusalem causes me to be more joyful than anything else does.
7 Lord, please remember what the people of Edom did on the day Jerusalem fell, the ones who said “Tear it down! Destroy it down to its foundations!”
Yahweh, [punish] the people of the Edom people-group for what they did on the day that the army of Babylon captured Jerusalem. Do not forget that they said, “Tear down all the buildings! Destroy them completely! Leave only the foundations!”
8 Daughter of Babylon, you will be destroyed! Happy is the one who pays you back, who does to you what you did to us!
And you people of Babylon, you will certainly be destroyed! Those who punish you in return for what you did to us will be happy;
9 Happy is the one who grabs your children and smashes them against the rocks!
they will take your babies and completely smash them on the rocks.
