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Psalm 137-138
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 137-138
New American Standard Bible
An Experience of the Captivity.
137 By the (A)rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and (B)wept,
When we remembered Zion.
2 Upon the [a](C)willows in the midst of it
We (D)hung our [b]harps.
3 For there our captors [c](E)demanded of us [d]songs,
And (F)our tormentors, jubilation, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How can we sing (G)the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
5 If I (H)forget you, Jerusalem,
May my right hand [e]forget its skill.
6 May my (I)tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not [f](J)exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
7 Remember, Lord, against the sons of (K)Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Those who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare
(L)To its foundation!”
8 Daughter of Babylon, you [g](M)devastated one,
Blessed will be one who (N)repays you
With [h]the retribution with which you have repaid us.
9 Blessed will be one who seizes and (O)dashes your children
Against the rock.
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.
A Psalm of David.
138 (P)I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the (Q)gods.
2 I will bow down (R)toward Your holy temple
And (S)give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your [i]truth;
For You have (T)made Your [j]word great [k]according to all Your name.
3 On the day I (U)called, You answered me;
You made me bold with (V)strength in my soul.
4 (W)All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, Lord,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they will (X)sing of the ways of the Lord,
For (Y)great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For (Z)the Lord is exalted,
Yet He (AA)looks after the lowly,
But He knows the (AB)haughty from afar.
7 Though I (AC)walk in the midst of trouble, You will [l](AD)revive me;
You will (AE)reach out with Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will (AF)save me.
8 The Lord will (AG)accomplish what concerns me;
Your (AH)faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting;
(AI)Do not abandon the (AJ)works of Your hands.
Footnotes
- Psalm 137:2 Or poplars
- Psalm 137:2 Lit lyres
- Psalm 137:3 Lit asked
- Psalm 137:3 Lit words of song
- Psalm 137:5 I.e., become useless
- Psalm 137:6 Lit cause to ascend
- Psalm 137:8 Or devastator
- Psalm 137:8 Lit your requital
- Psalm 138:2 Or faithfulness
- Psalm 138:2 Or promise
- Psalm 138:2 Or together with
- Psalm 138:7 Or keep me alive
Psalm 137-138
New International Version
Psalm 137-138
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)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.