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1 When we had been taken to Babylonia, far from Jerusalem,
we sat down by the rivers there,
and we cried when we thought about the temple on Zion Hill in Jerusalem.
2 On the willow trees alongside the rivers we hung our harps
because we did not want to play them anymore because we were very sad.
3 The soldiers who had captured us and taken us to Babylonia told us to sing for them;
they told us to ◄entertain them/make them happy►, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs that you previously sang in Jerusalem!”
4 But we thought to ourselves,
“We are sad because we have been punished by Yahweh and brought to this foreign land,
so we cannot [RHQ] sing songs about Yahweh while we are here!”
5 If I forget about Jerusalem [APO], I hope/wish that my right hand will wither
with the result that I will be unable to play my harp!
6 I hope that I will not be able to sing again [MTY],
if I forget about Jerusalem,
if I do not consider that Jerusalem causes me to be more joyful than anything else does.
7 Yahweh, punish the people of the Edom people-group
for what they did on the day that the army of Babylon captured Jerusalem.
Do not forget that they said,
“Tear down all the buildings! Destroy them completely! Leave only the foundations!”
8 And you people of Babylon, you will certainly be destroyed!
Those who punish you in return for what you did to us will be happy;
9 they will take your babies
and completely smash them on the rocks.