137 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!

⁸ Daughter of Babylon, who art to be laid waste, happy he that rendereth unto thee that which thou hast meted out to us.

⁹ Happy he that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock.

[A Psalm] of David.

138 I will give thee thanks with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing psalms of thee.

² I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

³ In the day when I called thou answeredst me; thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall celebrate thee, Jehovah, when they have heard the words of thy mouth;

⁵ And they shall sing in the ways of Jehovah, for great is the glory of Jehovah.

⁶ For Jehovah is high; but he looketh upon the lowly, and the proud he knoweth afar off.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the anger of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

⁸ Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me: thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, [endureth] for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

139 Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known [me].

² *Thou* knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off;

³ Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways;

⁴ For there is not yet a word on my tongue, [but] lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.

⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

⁶ O knowledge too wonderful for me! it is high, I cannot [attain] unto it.

⁷ Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither flee from thy presence?

⁸ If I ascend up into the heavens thou art there; or if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou [art there];

⁹ [If] I take the wings of the dawn [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹ And if I say, Surely darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night;

¹² Even darkness hideth not from thee, and the night shineth as the day: the darkness is as the light.

¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins; thou didst cover me in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all [my members] were written; [during many] days were they fashioned, when [as yet] there was none of them.

¹⁷ But how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸ [If] I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.

¹⁹ Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O +God! And ye men of blood, depart from me.

²⁰ For they speak of thee wickedly, they take [thy name] in vain, thine enemies.

²¹ Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? and do not I loathe them that rise up against thee?

²² I hate them with perfect hatred; I account them mine enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts;

²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

140 Free me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man:

² Who devise mischiefs in [their] heart; every day are they banded together for war.

³ They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

⁴ Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked [man], preserve me from the violent man, who devise to overthrow my steps.

⁵ The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the way-side; they have set traps for me. Selah.

⁶ I have said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: give ear, O Jehovah, to the voice of my supplications.

⁷ Jehovah, the Lord, is the strength of my salvation: thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸ Grant not, O Jehovah, the desire of the wicked; further not his device: they would exalt themselves. Selah.

⁹ [As for] the head of those that encompass me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰ Let burning coals fall on them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep waters, that they rise not up again.

¹¹ Let not the man of [evil] tongue be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the man of violence to [his] ruin.

¹² I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted one, the right of the needy.

¹³ Yea, the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.