Psalm 137–138

Lament During the Babylonian Exile

137By the rivers of Babylon,

there we sat, yes, we wept,

when we remembered Zion.

²On the willows^a in her midst,

we hung up our lyres.

³For there our captors asked of us

words of a song,

and our tormentors^b asked of us jubilation,

“Sing for us from a song of Zion.”

⁴How could we sing the song of Yahweh

in a foreign land?^c

⁵If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand forget.^d

⁶Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,

if I do not remember you,

if do not I exalt Jerusalem

above my highest joy.

⁷Remember, O Yahweh, against the sons of Edom

the day of Jerusalem,

the ones who said, “Lay it bare! Lay it bare

to its foundation!”

⁸O daughter of Babylon, about to be devastated,

happy shall be he who pays back to you

what you paid out to us.^e

⁹Happy shall be he who seizes

and smashes your children

against the rock.

Thanksgiving for Yahweh’s Goodness

138Of David.^a

¹I give you thanks with my whole heart;

before the gods I sing your praise.

²I bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name,

because of your loyal love and faithfulness,

for you have magnified your word^b according to all your name.^c

³When^d I called and you answered me,

you emboldened me in my soul with strength.

⁴All the kings of the earth

will praise you, O Yahweh,

when they have heard the words^e of your mouth,

⁵and they will sing of the ways of Yahweh,

because Yahweh’s glory is great.

⁶Though Yahweh is high, yet he sees the lowly,

but the proud he perceives^f at a distance.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

you preserve me alive.

You stretch out your hand against the anger of my enemies,

and you save me with your right hand.

⁸Yahweh accomplishes things for my benefit.

O Yahweh, your loyal love endures forever;

do not abandon the works of your hands.