Psalm 137 (Listen)
137:1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the LORD’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!
Devotional:
How can we sing the Lord’s song on foreign soil? (Psalm 137:4)
I will praise and thank the Lord because He hears me when I cry to Him. Have you cried out to the Lord during a time of deep, heartfelt pain? In this Psalm, the people of God were captives in a foreign land and their captors taunted them to sing a song of joy about their home. The people of Israel had no song in their hearts. No false spirituality and “gentle Jesus” here! They called to God asking for severe pain and punishment for their tormentors. Some of the stark realities of life can be infuriating. Tell God all about it. But vengeance belongs to Him alone; God will surely take care of evildoers. We can trust Him.
Pray It: Father, I thank you that you hear my prayers and cries at all times. Help me to remember that you never forget your people or your promises and that you always have a plan and a purpose, even when it is not clear to me. Amen.
Share It: Share a verse or thought from this passage with someone today.