The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 By the rivers of Babylon we were seated, weeping at the memory of Zion,
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37 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Tziyon.
2 Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside.
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We hung up our kinnorot (lyres) upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there those who had taken us prisoners made request for a song; and those who had taken away all we had gave us orders to be glad, saying, Give us one of the songs of Zion.
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For there they that carried us away captive required of us a shir (song); and they that tormented us required of us simchah, saying, Sing us one of the Shir Tziyon.
4 How may we give the Lord's song in a strange land?
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How shall we sing Shir Hashem in an admat nekhar (foreign land).
5 If I keep not your memory, O Jerusalem, let not my right hand keep the memory of its art.
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If I forget thee, O Yerushalayim, let my yamin (right hand) forget [i.e., have paralysis].
6 If I let you go out of my thoughts, and if I do not put Jerusalem before my greatest joy, let my tongue be fixed to the roof of my mouth.
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If I do not remember thee, let my leshon cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Yerushalayim above my rosh simchah (chief joy).
7 O Lord, keep in mind against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem; how they said, Let it be uncovered, uncovered even to its base.
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Remember, Hashem, the Bnei Edom in the Yom Yerushalayim; who said, Raze it, raze it, even to the yesod (foundation) thereof.
8 O daughter of Babylon, whose fate is destruction; happy is the man who does to you what you have done to us.
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O Bat Bavel, who art to be destroyed, ashrei shall he be, that repayeth thee the gemul thou hast done to us.
9 Happy is the man who takes your little ones, crushing them against the rocks.
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Ashrei shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy olalim against the sela.