Psalms 137

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

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

2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

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

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs 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 shall we sing Yhwh's song in a strange land?

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

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

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

6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not 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, O Yhwh, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

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, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

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

9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

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