God's New Bible

The Book of Psalms

Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 137 -

By the rivers of Babylon

(Ezekiel 1:1-3)
1
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
2
There on the willows (a) we hung our harps,
3
for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy:Sing us a song of Zion.”
4
How can we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land?
5
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function.
6
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!
7
Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!”
8
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
9
Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Footnotes

(a)137:2 Or poplars

By the rivers of Babylon

(Ezekiel 1:1-3)
1
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2
On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.
3
For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy:Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4
How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?
5
If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
6
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you, if I don’t prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7
Remember, LORD, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”
8
Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who repays you, as you have done to us.
9
Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.