Psalms 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there, we sat down, yea we wept—when 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 Upon the willows—in the midst thereof, hanged we our lyres:
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, there, our captors asked of us words of song, and our plunderers—gladness, —Sing us of the songs of Zion!
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 How shall we sing the song of Yahweh, on a foreign soil?
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 thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right-hand forget:
If I forget about Jerusalem [APO], Iet my right hand wither [with the result that I will be unable to play my harp]
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.
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 Remember, O Yahweh, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, —how they continued to say—Overthrow! Overthrow! unto the foundation within it.
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 O ruined daughter of Babylon, —how happy the man who shall repay thee thy dealing, wherewith thou didst deal with 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 How happy the man who shall snatch away and dash thy children against the crag.
they will take your babies and completely smash them on the rocks.
