Psalms 137

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

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

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

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

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

For 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.

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

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

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

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

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.

If 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.

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.

O 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.

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, whose fate is destruction; happy is the man who does to you what you have done to us.

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

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