A Lament of Israelites in Exile
1By the rivers of Babylon we sat down;
there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2On the willows near by
we hung up our harps.
3Those who captured us told us to sing;
they told us to entertain them:
“Sing us a song about Zion.”
4How can we sing a song to the Lord
in a foreign land?
5May I never be able to play the harp again
if I forget you, Jerusalem!
6May I never be able to sing again
if I do not remember you,
if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!
7Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did
the day Jerusalem was captured.
Remember how they kept saying,
“Tear it down to the ground!”
8 Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy are those who pay you back
for what you have done to us—
9who take your babies
and smash them against a rock.