Psalms

Chapter 137

Sorrow and Remembrance in Captivity

By the rivers of Babylon, the captives sat down and wept, remembering Zion and hanging their harps on the willows. When their captors demanded songs and mirth, the psalmist asked how they could sing the Lord's song in a foreign land. He swears a solemn oath never to forget Jerusalem, making it his chief joy, and calls upon God to remember the destruction of Jerusalem by Edom's children, pronouncing judgment upon Babylon for its cruelty.

Captivity lamentJerusalem's memoryLonging for ZionJudgment on enemies

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

²We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

³For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?

⁵If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

⁶If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

⁸O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

⁹Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

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