Psalms 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we thought about 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 On the poplars there we hung our harps.
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 There our captors required songs from us, and those who mocked us required us to be happy, saying, “Sing us one 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 could we sing a song about Yahweh in a foreign 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 ignore the memory of you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her skill.
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 cling to the roof of my mouth if I think about you no more, if I do not prefer Jerusalem more than my greatest delights.
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 Call to mind, Yahweh, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They said, “Tear it down, tear 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, soon to be destroyed— may the person be blessed, whoever pays you back for what you have done 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 May the person be blessed, whoever takes and dashes your little ones against a rock.
they will take your babies and completely smash them on the rocks.
