Psalms 137-139

Psalm 137

¹By rivers of Babylon -- There we did sit, Yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

²On willows in its midst we hung our harps.

³For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers -- joy: ‘Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'

⁴How do we sing the song of Jehovah, On the land of a stranger?

⁵If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, my right hand forgetteth!

⁶My tongue doth cleave to my palate, If I do not remember thee, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Those saying, ‘Rase, rase to its foundation!'

⁸O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.

⁹O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!

Psalm 138

¹By David. I confess Thee, with all my heart, Before the gods I do praise Thee.

²I bow myself toward Thy holy temple, And I confess Thy name, For Thy kindness, and for Thy truth, For Thou hast made great Thy saying above all Thy name.

³In the day I called, when Thou dost answer me, Thou dost strengthen me in my soul with strength.

⁴O Jehovah, all kings of earth confess Thee, When they have heard the sayings of Thy mouth.

⁵And they sing in the ways of Jehovah, For great is the honour of Jehovah.

⁶For high is Jehovah, and the lowly He seeth, And the haughty from afar He knoweth.

⁷If I walk in the midst of distress Thou quickenest me, Against the anger of mine enemies Thou sendest forth Thy hand, And Thy right hand doth save me.

⁸Jehovah doth perfect for me, O Jehovah, Thy kindness is to the age, The works of Thy hands let not fall!

Psalm 139

¹To the Overseer. -- A Psalm by David. Jehovah, Thou hast searched me, and knowest.

²Thou -- Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts from afar.

³My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And with all my ways hast been acquainted.

⁴For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!

⁵Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

⁶Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.

⁷Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do I flee?

⁸If I ascend the heavens -- there Thou art, And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee!

⁹I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

¹⁰Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me.

¹¹And I say, ‘Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night is light to me.

¹²Also darkness hideth not from Thee, And night as day shineth, as is darkness so is light.

¹³For Thou -- Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother's belly.

¹⁴I confess Thee, because that with wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul is knowing it well.

¹⁵My substance was not hid from Thee, When I was made in secret, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth.

¹⁶Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed -- And not one among them.

¹⁷And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum!

¹⁸I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee.

¹⁹Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me!

²⁰Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity are Thine enemies.

²¹Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee? And with Thy withstanders grieve myself?

²²With perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,

²⁴And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!