Psalm 137-138

New Living Translation

Psalm 137

¹Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept
    as we thought of Jerusalem.^[a]
²We put away our harps,
    hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.
³For our captors demanded a song from us.
    Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:
    “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”
⁴But how can we sing the songs of the Lord
    while in a pagan land?

⁵If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget how to play the harp.
⁶May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
    if I fail to remember you,
    if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.

⁷O Lord, remember what the Edomites did
    on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem.
“Destroy it!” they yelled.
    “Level it to the ground!”
⁸O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
    Happy is the one who pays you back
    for what you have done to us.
⁹Happy is the one who takes your babies
    and smashes them against the rocks!

Psalm 138

A psalm of David.

¹I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
    I will sing your praises before the gods.
²I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
    I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
    by all the honor of your name.
³As soon as I pray, you answer me;
    you encourage me by giving me strength.

⁴Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,
    for all of them will hear your words.
⁵Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
    for the glory of the Lord is very great.
⁶Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
    but he keeps his distance from the proud.

⁷Though I am surrounded by troubles,
    you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
    and the power of your right hand saves me.
⁸The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me.