被擄者的哀歌

137 我們坐在巴比倫河畔,
想起錫安禁不住淒然淚下。
我們把琴掛在柳樹上。
俘虜我們的人要我們唱歌,
擄掠我們的人要我們歌唱,說:
「給我們唱一首錫安的歌。」
我們流落異邦,
怎能唱頌讚耶和華的歌呢?
耶路撒冷啊,倘若我忘了你,
情願我的右手無法再撥弄琴弦;
倘若我忘了你,
不以你為我的至愛,
情願我的舌頭不能再歌唱。

耶和華啊,
求你記住耶路撒冷淪陷時以東人的行徑。
他們喊道:
「拆毀這城,把它夷為平地!」
巴比倫城啊,
你快要滅亡了,
那向你以牙還牙為我們復仇的人有福了!
那抓住你的嬰孩摔在石頭上的人有福了!

137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

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.

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

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

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.

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

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

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

How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

137 By the waters of Babylon,
    there we sat down and wept,
    when we remembered Zion.
On the willows[a] there
    we hung up our lyres.
For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

(A)How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    (B)let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my (C)tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!

Remember, O Lord, against the (D)Edomites
    (E)the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, (F)“Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!”
O daughter of Babylon, (G)doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who (H)repays you
    with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and (I)dashes them against the rock!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 137:2 Or poplars

Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon(A) we sat and wept(B)
    when we remembered Zion.(C)
There on the poplars(D)
    we hung our harps,(E)
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)

How can we sing the songs of the Lord(I)
    while in a foreign land?
If I forget you,(J) Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
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.

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)
Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,(Q)
    happy is the one who repays you
    according to what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who seizes your infants
    and dashes them(R) against the rocks.