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Psalms Chapter 137 (JPS)

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Psalms Chapter 137 (JPS)
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1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.

3 For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'

4 How shall we sing HaShem'S song in a foreign land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not; if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy.

7 Remember, O HaShem, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem; who said: 'Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.'

8 O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that repayeth thee as thou hast served us.

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

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

but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

Daniel 2:28 | ASV

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