Add parallel Print Page Options

137 By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept
as we remembered Tziyon.
We had hung up our lyres
on the willows that were there,
when those who had taken us captive
asked us to sing them a song;
our tormentors demanded joy from us —
“Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!”

How can we sing a song about Adonai
here on foreign soil?
If I forget you, Yerushalayim,
may my right hand wither away!
May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I fail to count Yerushalayim
the greatest of all my joys.

Remember, Adonai, against the people of Edom
the day of Yerushalayim’s fall,
how they cried, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Raze it to the ground!”

Daughter of Bavel, you will be destroyed!
A blessing on anyone who pays you back
for the way you treated us!
A blessing on anyone who seizes your babies
and smashes them against a rock!

Bible Gateway Recommends

The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary on CD-Rom
The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary on CD-Rom
Retail: $179.95
Our Price: $79.99
Save: $99.96 (56%)
4.0 of 5.0 stars
Complete Jewish Bible: 2016 Updated Edition, Hardcover
Complete Jewish Bible: 2016 Updated Edition, Hardcover
Retail: $34.95
Our Price: $24.99
Save: $9.96 (28%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
The Complete Jewish Study Bible
The Complete Jewish Study Bible
Retail: $49.95
Our Price: $27.99
Save: $21.96 (44%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary on CD-Rom
The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary on CD-Rom
Retail: $179.95
Our Price: $79.99
Save: $99.96 (56%)
4.0 of 5.0 stars
The Complete Jewish Study Bible, Flexisoft Leather,   Dark Blue
The Complete Jewish Study Bible, Flexisoft Leather, Dark Blue
Retail: $79.95
Our Price: $55.99
Save: $23.96 (30%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
The Complete Jewish Study Bible
The Complete Jewish Study Bible
Retail: $49.95
Our Price: $27.99
Save: $21.96 (44%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars