Psalms 137:1-7 in English

¹ By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion.

² Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.

³ For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How shall we sing Jehovah’s song In a foreign land?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her skill.

⁶ Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I remember thee not; If I prefer not Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem; Who said, Rase it, rase it, Even to the foundation thereof.

¹ A Psalm for David, of Aggæus and Zacharias. I will give thee thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; and I will sing psalms to thee before the angels; for thou hast heard all the words of my mouth.

² I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks to thy name, on account of thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy holy name above every thing.

³ In whatsoever day I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily; thou shalt abundantly provide me with thy power in my soul.

⁴ Let all the kings of the earth, O Lord, give thanks unto thee; for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

⁵ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and yet regards the lowly; and he knows high things from afar off.

⁷ Though I should walk in the midst of affliction, thou wilt quicken me; thou hast stretched forth thine hands against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand has saved me.

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

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

³ For 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

³ For 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.

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

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

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

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

¹ (138) A Psalm for David, of Aggaeus and Zacharias. I will give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; and I will sing psalms to you before the angels; for you have heard all the words of my mouth.

² I will worship toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, on account of your mercy and your truth; for you have magnified your holy name above every thing.

³ In whatever day I shall call upon you, hear me speedily; you shall abundantly provide me with your power in my soul.

⁴ Let all the kings of the earth, o Lord, give thanks to you; for they have heard all the words of your mouth.

⁵ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and yet regards the lowly; and he knows high things from afar off.

⁷ Though I should walk in the midst of affliction, you will quicken me; you have stretched forth your hands against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand has saved me.

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

² Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.

³ For there they that led us captive required of us songs, and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

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

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

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

¹ 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 willow trees alongside the rivers we hung our harps because we did not want to play them anymore because we were very sad.

³ 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 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 about Jerusalem APO, Iet my right hand wither with the result that I will be unable to play my harp

⁶ 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 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!”

¹ (138) A Psalm for David, of Aggaeus and Zacharias. I will give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; and I will sing psalms to you before the angels; for you have heard all the words of my mouth.

² I will worship towards your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, on account of your mercy and your truth; for you have magnified your holy name above every thing.

³ In whatever day I shall call upon you, hear me speedily; you shall abundantly provide me with your power in my soul.

⁴ Let all the kings of the earth, o Lord, give thanks to you; for they have heard all the words of your mouth.

⁵ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and yet regards the lowly; and he knows high things from afar off.

⁷ Though I should walk in the midst of affliction, you will quicken me; you have stretched forth your hands against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand has saved me.

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 Yahweh’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, Yahweh, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

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 Yahweh’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, Yahweh, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

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!”

¹ By the rivers of Babylon we were seated, weeping at the memory of Zion,

² Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside.

³ For there those who had taken us prisoners made request for a song; and those who had taken away all we had gave us orders to be glad, saying, Give us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How may we give the Lord's song in a strange land?

⁵ If I keep not your memory, O Jerusalem, let not my right hand keep the memory of its art.

⁶ If I let you go out of my thoughts, and if I do not put Jerusalem before my greatest joy, let my tongue be fixed to the roof of my mouth.

⁷ O Lord, keep in mind against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem; how they said, Let it be uncovered, uncovered even to its base.

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

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

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

⁴ How should we sing a song of Jehovah's upon a foreign soil?

⁵ If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill;

⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to my palate: if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember, O Jehovah, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, Lay it bare, Lay it bare, down to its foundation!

¹ I will praise thee, O lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of his angels:

² I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

³ In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shall multiply strength in my soul.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

⁵ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.

⁷ If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.

¹ When we sat down by the rivers of Babylon we wept as we remembered Zion.

² We hung up our harps on the willow trees.

³ For those who had taken us captive asked us for a song—our tormentors wanted us to sing a happy song from Jerusalem.

⁴ But how could we sing a song dedicated to the Lord in a pagan land?

⁵ If I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand forget how to play;

⁶ 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 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!”

¹ By the riuers of Babel we sate, and there wee wept, when we remembred Zion.

² Wee hanged our harpes vpon the willowes in the middes thereof.

³ Then they that ledde vs captiues, required of vs songs and mirth, when wee had hanged vp our harpes, saying, Sing vs one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ Howe shall we sing, said we, a song of the Lord in a strange land?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Ierusalem, let my right hand forget to play.

⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth: yea, if I preferre not Ierusalem to my chiefe ioy.

⁷ Remember the children of Edom, O Lord, in the day of Ierusalem, which saide, Rase it, rase it to the foundation thereof.

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

² Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.

³ For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'

⁴ How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a foreign land?

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

⁶ Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not; if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy.

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

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

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

³ For 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.

⁴ How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a strange land?

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

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

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

¹ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, and we also wept when we remembered Zion.

² Upon the willows in her midst had we hung up our harps.

³ For there our captors demanded of us the words of song; and those that mocked us, joy, saying, Sing for us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How should we sing the song of the Lord on the soil of the stranger?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget—.

⁶ May my tongue cleave to my palate if I do not remember thee: if I recall not Jerusalem at the head of my joy.

⁷ Remember, O Lord, unto the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze it, raze it, even to her very foundation.

¹ A Psalm for David, of Haggai and Zechariah. I will give thee thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; And I will sing psalms to thee before the angels; For thou hast heard all the words of my mouth.

² I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks to thy name, On account of thy mercy and thy truth; For thou hast magnified thy holy name above everything.

³ In whatsoever day I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily; Thou shalt abundantly provide me with thy power in my soul.

⁴ Let all the kings of the earth, O Lord, give thanks unto thee; For they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

⁵ And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; For great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and yet regards the lowly; And he knows high things from afar off.

⁷ Though I should walk in the midst of affliction, thou wilt quicken me; Thou hast stretched forth thy hands against the wrath of mine enemies, And thy right hand has saved me.

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

² We hung our harps on the willows in the midst thereof.

³ For there they who carried us away captive required of us a song; They who wasted us required of us mirth: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴ How shall we sing the LORD'S song In a strange land?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her cunning!

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

⁷ Remember, O LORD! against the children of Edom The day of the calamity of Jerusalem! Who said, “Raze it, Raze it to its foundations!”

¹ By the waters of Babylon there we sat, and we wept at the thought of Zion.

² There on the poplars we hung our harps.

³ For there our captors called for a song: our tormentors, rejoicing, saying: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

⁴ How can we sing the Lord's song in the foreigner's land?

⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand wither.

⁶ May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I am unmindful of you, or don't set Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember the Edomites, Lord, the day of Jerusalem's fall, when they said, “Lay her bare, lay her bare, right down to her very foundation.”

¹ By the waters of Babylon there we sat, and we wept at the thought of Zion.

² There on the poplars we hung our harps.

³ For there our captors called for a song: our tormentors, rejoicing, saying: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

⁴ How can we sing the Lord's song in the foreigner's land?

⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand wither.

⁶ May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I am unmindful of you, or don't set Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember the Edomites, Lord, the day of Jerusalem's fall, when they said, “Lay her bare, lay her bare, right down to her very foundation.”

¹ By the rivers of Babylon Confusion, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion Mountain ridge, Marking.

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 Mountain ridge, Marking!”

⁴ How can we sing Adonai ’s song in a foreign land?

⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem City of peace, 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 City of peace above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember, Adonai , against the children of Edom Red, the day of Jerusalem City of peace; who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

¹ By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we thought about Zion.

² On the poplars there we hung our harps.

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.”

⁴ How could we sing a song about Yahweh in a foreign land?

⁵ If I ignore the memory of you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her skill.

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.

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.”

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 Yahweh’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, Yahweh, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

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!”

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

² We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it.

³ For 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.

⁴ How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a foreign land?

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

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

⁷ Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze it , raze it , even to its foundation.

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!”

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!”

¹ On the floods of Babylon, there we sat, and wept; while we bethought on Zion.

² In sallows in the midst thereof; we hanged up our organs.

³ For they that led us prisoners; asked us there the words of songs. And they that led away us said; Sing ye to us an hymn of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How shall we sing a song of the Lord; in an alien land?

⁵ If I forget thee, Jerusalem; my right hand be given to forgetting.

⁶ My tongue cleave to my cheeks; if I bethink not on thee. If I purposed not of thee, Jerusalem; in the beginning of my gladness.

⁷ Lord, have thou mind on the sons of Edom; for the day of Jerusalem. Which say, Extinguish ye, extinguish ye; till to the foundament therein.

¹ On the floods of Babylon, there we sat, and wept; while we bethought on Zion. (By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, and wept; when we thought about Zion.)

² In sallows in the midst thereof; we hanged up our organs. (On the willows nearby; we hung up our harps.)

³ For they that led us prisoners; asked us there the words of songs. And they that led away us said; Sing ye to us an hymn of the songs of Zion. (For they who led us away as prisoners; told us to sing there. Yea, they who led us away said; Sing ye for us a hymn of the songs of Zion.)

⁴ How shall we sing a song of the Lord; in an alien land? (But how can we sing a song to the Lord; in a foreign, or a strange, land?)

⁵ If I forget thee, Jerusalem; my right hand be given to forgetting. (Yea, if I forget thee, Jerusalem; may my right hand forget how to play my harp, or may my right hand wither away.)

⁶ My tongue cleave to my cheeks; if I bethink not on thee. If I purposed not of thee, Jerusalem; in the beginning of my gladness. (And may my tongue cleave to my cheeks; if I do not remember thee, Jerusalem. Yea, if I do not think of thee, as my greatest joy.)

⁷ Lord, have thou mind on the sons of Edom; for the day of Jerusalem. Which say, Extinguish ye, extinguish ye; till to the foundament therein. (Lord, remember what the Edomites did; on that day that Jerusalem fell. They said, Destroy ye it! destroy ye it! unto its foundations!)

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

² On willows in its midst we hung our harps.

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.'

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

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

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

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