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.