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Psalm 137-140
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 137-140
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 137
Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
1 By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down, and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.(A)
2 On the willows[a] there
we hung up our harps.
3 For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”(B)
4 How could we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.(C)
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Down to its foundations!”(D)
8 O daughter Babylon, you devastator![b]
Happy shall they be who pay you back
what you have done to us!(E)
9 Happy shall they be who take your little ones
and dash them against the rock!(F)
Psalm 138
Thanksgiving and Praise
Of David.
1 I give you thanks, O Lord,[c] with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;(G)
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.[d](H)
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength of soul.[e](I)
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.(J)
5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he perceives from far away.(K)
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.(L)
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.(M)
Psalm 139
The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.(N)
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.(O)
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.(P)
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.(Q)
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.(R)
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.(S)
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?(T)
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.(U)
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.(V)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and night wraps itself around me,”[f](W)
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.(X)
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.(Y)
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.(Z)
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.(AA)
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.[g]
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!(AB)
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end[h]—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—(AC)
20 those who speak of you maliciously
and lift themselves up against you for evil
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?(AE)
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.(AF)
24 See if there is any wicked[j] way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.[k](AG)
Psalm 140
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from those who are violent,(AH)
2 who plan evil things in their minds
and stir up wars continually.(AI)
3 They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,
and under their lips is the venom of vipers. Selah(AJ)
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent
who have planned my downfall.(AK)
5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net,[l]
along the road they have set snares for me. Selah(AL)
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God;
give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.”(AM)
7 O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.(AN)
8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot.[m] Selah(AO)
9 Those who surround me lift up their heads;[n]
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!(AP)
10 Let burning coals fall on them!
Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!(AQ)
11 Do not let the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil speedily hunt down the violent!(AR)
12 I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy
and executes justice for the poor.(AS)
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall live in your presence.(AT)
Footnotes
- 137.2 Or poplars
- 137.8 Or you who are devastated
- 138.1 Q mss Gk: MT lacks O Lord
- 138.2 Cn: Heb you have exalted your word above all your name
- 138.3 Syr Compare Gk Tg: Heb you made me arrogant in my soul with strength
- 139.11 Q ms: MT and the light around me become night
- 139.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 139.18 Or I awake
- 139.20 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 139.24 Heb hurtful
- 139.24 Or the ancient way
- 140.5 Or they have spread cords as a net
- 140.8 Heb adds they are exalted
- 140.9 Cn: Heb those who surround me are uplifted in head
Psalm 137-140
New International Version
Psalm 137-140
New International Version
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon(A) we sat and wept(B)
when we remembered Zion.(C)
2 There on the poplars(D)
we hung our harps,(E)
3 for there our captors(F) asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded(G) songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”(H)
4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord(I)
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you,(J) Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof(K) of my mouth
if I do not remember(L) you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem(M)
my highest joy.
7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites(N) did
on the day Jerusalem fell.(O)
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”(P)
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,(Q)
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them(R) against the rocks.
Psalm 138
Of David.
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods”(S) I will sing(T) your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple(U)
and will praise your name(V)
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(W)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.(X)
3 When I called,(Y) you answered me;(Z)
you greatly emboldened(AA) me.
4 May all the kings of the earth(AB) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing(AC) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord(AD) is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(AE)
though lofty, he sees them(AF) from afar.
7 Though I walk(AG) in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.(AH)
You stretch out your hand(AI) against the anger of my foes;(AJ)
with your right hand(AK) you save me.(AL)
8 The Lord will vindicate(AM) me;
your love, Lord, endures forever(AN)—
do not abandon(AO) the works of your hands.(AP)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me,(AQ) Lord,
and you know(AR) me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;(AS)
you perceive my thoughts(AT) from afar.
3 You discern my going out(AU) and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.(AV)
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.(AW)
5 You hem me in(AX) behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(AY)
too lofty(AZ) for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee(BA) from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens,(BB) you are there;
if I make my bed(BC) in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(BD)
your right hand(BE) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(BF) to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;(BG)
you knit me together(BH) in my mother’s womb.(BI)
14 I praise you(BJ) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,(BK)
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made(BL) in the secret place,
when I was woven together(BM) in the depths of the earth.(BN)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained(BO) for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](BP) God!(BQ)
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(BR)
they would outnumber the grains of sand(BS)—
when I awake,(BT) I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(BU)
Away from me,(BV) you who are bloodthirsty!(BW)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries(BX) misuse your name.(BY)
21 Do I not hate those(BZ) who hate you, Lord,
and abhor(CA) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.(CB)
23 Search me,(CC) God, and know my heart;(CD)
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(CE) in me,
and lead me(CF) in the way everlasting.
Psalm 140[b]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me,(CG) Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,(CH)
2 who devise evil plans(CI) in their hearts
and stir up war(CJ) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(CK) a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers(CL) is on their lips.[c]
4 Keep me safe,(CM) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(CN)
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare(CO) for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net(CP)
and have set traps(CQ) for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(CR)
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(CS)
7 Sovereign Lord,(CT) my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(CU) their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
Footnotes
- Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
- Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
- Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.
Psalm 137-140
King James Version
Psalm 137-140
King James Version
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 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.
8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
138 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
139 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, 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 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.