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Psalms Chapter 137 (BSB)

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Psalms 137
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1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

2 There on the willows we hung our harps,

3 for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy: “Sing us a song of Zion.”

4 How can we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function.

6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!

7 Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!”

8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.

9 Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Psalm 137 about?
It's a lament of Jewish exiles "by the rivers of Babylon," who wept remembering Zion and hung their harps on the willows rather than sing for their captors (vv.1-3).
What does verse 5 vow about Jerusalem?
V.5 vows, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning," a promise never to forget the city even in exile.
How does the psalm end?
It ends harshly, pronouncing "happy" whoever repays Babylon "as thou hast served us," including a violent line against "her little ones" (v.9), reflecting the raw anguish of the exiles.

Today's Verse

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.

Job 3:16 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

The psalmist vows never to forget Jerusalem, even letting his "right hand forget her cunning" first, before closing with a harsh cry against Edom and Babylon similar in tone to Isaiah 13:16. Browse further on the Psalms overview or continue to Psalms 138.