Psalms 137-139

Psalm 137

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

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

³For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that made us wail required mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴How should we sing a song of Jehovah's upon a foreign soil?

⁵If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill;

⁶If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to my palate: if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, O Jehovah, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, Lay it bare, Lay it bare, down to its foundation!

⁸Daughter of Babylon, who art to be laid waste, happy he that rendereth unto thee that which thou hast meted out to us.

⁹Happy he that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock.

Psalm 138

¹A Psalm of David. I will give thee thanks with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing psalms of thee.

²I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

³In the day when I called thou answeredst me; thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.

⁴All the kings of the earth shall celebrate thee, Jehovah, when they have heard the words of thy mouth;

⁵And they shall sing in the ways of Jehovah, for great is the glory of Jehovah.

⁶For Jehovah is high; but he looketh upon the lowly, and the proud he knoweth afar off.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the anger of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

⁸Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me: thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Psalm 139

¹To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me.

²*Thou* knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off;

³Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways;

⁴For there is not yet a word on my tongue, but lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.

⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

⁶O knowledge too wonderful for me! it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither flee from thy presence?

⁸If I ascend up into the heavens thou art there; or if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there;

⁹If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹And if I say, Surely darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night;

¹²Even darkness hideth not from thee, and the night shineth as the day: the darkness is as the light.

¹³For thou hast possessed my reins; thou didst cover me in my mother's womb.

¹⁴I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁶Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all my members were written; during many days were they fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷But how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.

¹⁹Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O +God! And ye men of blood, depart from me.

²⁰For they speak of thee wickedly, they take thy name in vain, thine enemies.

²¹Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? and do not I loathe them that rise up against thee?

²²I hate them with perfect hatred; I account them mine enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts;

²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.