Psalms 137

1 By rivers of Babylon — There we did sit, Yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

When we sat down by the rivers of Babylon we wept as we remembered Zion.

2 On willows in its midst we hung our harps.

We hung up our harps on the willow trees.

3 For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers — joy: 'Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'

For those who had taken us captive asked us for a song—our tormentors wanted us to sing a happy song from Jerusalem.

4 How do we sing the song of Jehovah, On the land of a stranger?

But how could we sing a song dedicated to the Lord in a pagan land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, my right hand forgetteth!

If I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand forget how to play;

6 My tongue doth cleave to my palate, If I do not remember thee, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.

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.

7 Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Those saying, 'Rase, rase to its foundation!'

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!”

8 O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.

Daughter of Babylon, you will be destroyed! Happy is the one who pays you back, who does to you what you did to us!

9 O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!

Happy is the one who grabs your children and smashes them against the rocks!