Lament During The Babylonian Exile

1 By the (A)rivers of Babylon,There we sat down and (B)wept,When we remembered Zion.

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

1 By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and weptwhen we remembered Zion.(A)

1 There we sat down and cried by the rivers of Babylon as we remembered Zion.

1 By the rivers of Babylon,There we [captives] sat down and wept,When we remembered Zion [the city God imprinted on our hearts].

2 Upon the (a)(C)willows in the midst of itWe (D)hung our (b)harps.

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

2 There we hung up our lyreson the poplar trees,(B)

2 On the willows there we hung our harps,

2 On the willow trees in the midst of BabylonWe hung our harps.

3 For there our captors (c)(E)demanded of us (d)songs,And (F)our tormentors mirth, saying,“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

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.

3 for our captors there asked us for songs,and our tormentors, for rejoicing:“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”(C)

3 for it was there that our captors asked us for songs and our torturers demanded joy from us, "Sing us one of the songs about Zion!"

3 For there they who took us captive demanded of us a song with words,And our tormentors [who made a mockery of us demanded] amusement, saying,“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

4 How can we sing (G)the Lord’s songIn a foreign land?

4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?

4 How can we sing the Lord’s songon foreign soil?(D)

4 How are we to sing the song of the LORD on foreign soil?

4 How can we sing the Lord’s songIn a strange and foreign land?

5 If I (H)forget you, O Jerusalem,May my right hand (e)forget her skill.

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

5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,may my right hand forget its skill.(E)

5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function.

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,Let my right hand forget [her skill with the harp].

6 May my (I)tongue cling to the roof of my mouthIf I do not remember you,If I do not (f)(J)exalt JerusalemAbove my chief joy.

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.

6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouthif I do not remember you,if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!(F)

6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you, if I don't consider Jerusalem to be more important than my highest joy.

6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouthIf I do not remember you,If I do not prefer JerusalemAbove my chief joy.(A)

7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of (K)EdomThe day of Jerusalem,Who said, “Raze it, raze it(L)To its very foundation.”

7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites saidthat day(a) at Jerusalem:“Destroy it! Destroy itdown to its foundations!”(G)

7 Remember the day of Jerusalem's fall, LORD, because of the Edomites, who kept saying, "Tear it down! Tear it right down to its foundations!"

7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom,The day of [the fall of] Jerusalem,Who said “Down, down [with her]To her very foundation.”

8 O daughter of Babylon, you (g)(M)devastated one,How blessed will be the one who (N)repays youWith (h)the recompense with which you have repaid us.

8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,happy is the one who pays you backwhat you have done to us.(H)

8 Daughter of Babylon! You devastator! How blessed will be the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.

8 O daughter of Babylon, you devastator,How blessed will be the oneWho repays you [with destruction] as you have repaid us.(B)

9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and (O)dashes your little onesAgainst the rock.

9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

9 Happy is he who takes your little onesand dashes them against the rocks.(I)

9 How blessed will be the one who seizes your young children and pulverizes them against the cliff!

9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little onesAgainst the rock.

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