1 Ved Babylons elver, der satt vi og gråt når vi kom Sion i hu. 2 På vidjene der hengte vi våre harper; 3 for der krevde våre fangevoktere sanger av oss, våre plagere at vi skulde være glade: Syng for oss av Sions sanger! 4 Hvorledes skulde vi synge Herrens sang på fremmed jord? 5 Glemmer jeg dig, Jerusalem, da glemme mig {nekte mig sin tjeneste.} min høire hånd! 6 Min tunge henge fast ved min gane om jeg ikke kommer dig i hu, om jeg ikke setter Jerusalem over min høieste glede!

7 Kom Jerusalems dag i hu, Herre, så du straffer Edoms barn, dem som sa: Riv ned, riv ned, like til grunnen i den!

8 Babels datter, du ødelagte! Lykksalig er den som gir dig gjengjeld for den gjerning du gjorde mot oss. 9 Lykksalig er den som griper og knuser dine spede barn imot klippen.

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

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

3 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.*137.3 a song: Heb. the words of a song*137.3 wasted…: Heb. laid us on heaps

4 How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?*137.4 strange…: Heb. land of a stranger?

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

6 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.*137.6 my chief…: Heb. the head of my joy

7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.*137.7 Rase it: Heb. Make bare

8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.*137.8 destroyed: Heb. wasted*137.8 rewardeth…: Heb. recompenseth unto thee thy deed which thou didst to us

9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.*137.9 the stones: Heb. the rock