137 By rivers of Babylon -- There we did sit, Yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

² On willows in its midst we hung our harps.

³ For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers -- joy: `Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'

⁴ How do we sing the song of Jehovah, On the land of a stranger?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, my right hand forgetteth!

⁶ My tongue doth cleave to my palate, If I do not remember thee, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Those saying, `Rase, rase to its foundation!'

⁸ O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.

⁹ O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!

138 By David. I confess Thee, with all my heart, Before the gods I do praise Thee.

² I bow myself toward Thy holy temple, And I confess Thy name, For Thy kindness, and for Thy truth, For Thou hast made great Thy saying above all Thy name.

³ In the day I called, when Thou dost answer me, Thou dost strengthen me in my soul [with] strength.

⁴ O Jehovah, all kings of earth confess Thee, When they have heard the sayings of Thy mouth.

⁵ And they sing in the ways of Jehovah, For great [is] the honour of Jehovah.

⁶ For high [is] Jehovah, and the lowly He seeth, And the haughty from afar He knoweth.

⁷ If I walk in the midst of distress Thou quickenest me, Against the anger of mine enemies Thou sendest forth Thy hand, And Thy right hand doth save me.

⁸ Jehovah doth perfect for me, O Jehovah, Thy kindness [is] to the age, The works of Thy hands let not fall!

139 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm by David. Jehovah, Thou hast searched me, and knowest.

² Thou -- Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts from afar.

³ My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And [with] all my ways hast been acquainted.

⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!

⁵ Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

⁶ Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.

⁷ Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do I flee?

⁸ If I ascend the heavens -- there Thou [art], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee!

⁹ I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

¹⁰ Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me.

¹¹ And I say, `Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night [is] light to me.

¹² Also darkness hideth not from Thee, And night as day shineth, as [is] darkness so [is] light.

¹³ For Thou -- Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother's belly.

¹⁴ I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful [are] Thy works, And my soul is knowing [it] well.

¹⁵ My substance was not hid from Thee, When I was made in secret, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth.

¹⁶ Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed -- And not one among them.

¹⁷ And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum!

¹⁸ I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee.

¹⁹ Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!

²⁰ Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity [are] Thine enemies.

²¹ Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee? And with Thy withstanders grieve myself?

²² [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,

²⁴ And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!

140 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Jehovah, from an evil man, From one of violence Thou keepest me.

² Who have devised evils in the heart, All the day they assemble [for] wars.

³ They sharpened their tongue as a serpent, Poison of an adder [is] under their lips. Selah.

⁴ Preserve me, Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked, From one of violence Thou keepest me, Who have devised to overthrow my steps.

⁵ The proud hid a snare for me -- and cords, They spread a net by the side of the path, Snares they have set for me. Selah.

⁶ I have said to Jehovah, `My God [art] Thou, Hear, Jehovah, the voice of my supplications.'

⁷ O Jehovah, my Lord, strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of armour.

⁸ Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked, His wicked device bring not forth, They are high. Selah.

⁹ The chief of my surrounders, The perverseness of their lips covereth them.

¹⁰ They cause to fall on themselves burning coals, Into fire He doth cast them, Into deep pits -- they arise not.

¹¹ A talkative man is not established in the earth, One of violence -- evil hunteth to overflowing.

¹² I have known that Jehovah doth execute The judgment of the afflicted, The judgment of the needy.

¹³ Only -- the righteous give thanks to Thy name, The upright do dwell with Thy presence!