Psalms, chapter 137
A Prayer for Revenge
eside the rivers of Babylon we thought about Jerusalem,
and we sat down and cried.
2We hung our small harps on the willow trees.
3Our enemies had brought us here as their prisoners;
now they wanted us to sing and entertain them.
They insulted us and shouted, “Sing about Zion!”
4Here in a foreign land,
how can we sing about the Lord?
Here in a foreign land, how can we sing about the Lord?
— Ps 137.4
5Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand go limp.
6Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I don't think about you above all else.
7Our Lord, punish the Edomites!
On the day Jerusalem fell, they shouted,
“Completely destroy the city!
Tear down every building!”
8Babylon, you are doomed! I pray the Lord's blessings
on anyone who punishes you for what you did to us.
9May the Lord bless everyone
who beats your children against the rocks!