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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Psalms 137:1–5

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
BY the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

25 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 1

  1. Ezekiel 1:1Rank 1 from verse 1
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    1NOW it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

  2. Ezekiel 3:15Rank 2 from verse 1
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    15¶ Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

  3. Ezekiel 1:3Rank 3 from verse 1
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    3The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

  4. Lamentations 2:10–11Rank 4 from verse 1
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    10The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

    11Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

  5. Lamentations 2:18Rank 5 from verse 1
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    18Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

From verse 2

  1. Ezekiel 26:13Rank 1 from verse 2
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    13And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

  2. Isaiah 24:8Rank 2 from verse 2
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    8The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

  3. Revelation 18:22Rank 3 from verse 2
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    22And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

  4. Amos 8:10Rank 4 from verse 2
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    10And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

  5. Psalms 33:2Rank 5 from verse 2
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    2Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

From verse 3

  1. Luke 21:6Rank 1 from verse 3
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    6As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

  2. Lamentations 2:15–16Rank 2 from verse 3
    Open

    15All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

    16All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

  3. Micah 3:12Rank 3 from verse 3
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    12Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

  4. Psalms 9:14Rank 4 from verse 3
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    14That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

  5. 1 Chronicles 16:7Rank 5 from verse 3
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    7¶ Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

From verse 4

  1. Amos 8:3Rank 1 from verse 4
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    3And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.

  2. Isaiah 22:12Rank 2 from verse 4
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    12And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

  3. Hosea 9:4Rank 3 from verse 4
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    4They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord.

  4. Lamentations 5:14–15Rank 4 from verse 4
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    14The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.

    15The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.

  5. Ecclesiastes 3:4Rank 5 from verse 4
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    4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

From verse 5

  1. Daniel 6:10–11Rank 1 from verse 5
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    10¶ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

    11Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

  2. Jeremiah 51:50Rank 2 from verse 5
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    50Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

  3. Isaiah 62:1Rank 3 from verse 5
    Open

    1FOR Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

  4. Psalms 122:5–9Rank 4 from verse 5
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    5For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

    6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

    7Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

    8For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

    9Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

  5. Psalms 84:10Rank 5 from verse 5
    Open

    10For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Psalms 137:1

COMBINED MEANING

Babylon

↗

Sense 1: The proper name of the city, land, or kingdom of Babylon. Sense 2: The prophetic entity called Babylon.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sat

↗

Was seated, took a seat, remained seated, or occupied a seat or place.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

yea

↗

1. Indeed, marking confirmation, emphasis, addition, continuation, or heightening of what is said; it may also emphasize a question. 2. Yes, expressing an affirmative answer or declaration.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

remembered

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of remember. Sense 1: To retain in mind or call back to mind; to recall. Sense 2: To keep in mind with heed, observance, commemoration, or corresponding action. Sense 3: To take account of a person, promise, deed, sin, or need and act with regard to it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Psalms 137:2

COMBINED MEANING

upon

↗

1. Marks the person, place, thing, or basis to which something is related: on or onto; above or over; toward or against as the target of action, speech, thought, attention, or force; resting on, assigned to, or affecting as a state, gift, burden, duty, guilt, or judgment; supported by or based on; or one placed, added, or repeated on or after another. 2. With a stated time or occasion, or a preceding event, at that time or point, or at or after that event: on, at, when, then, or following it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

midst

↗

The middle, centre, interior, or intervening part of a place, body, company, or condition; among, within, surrounded by, or in the presence of persons or things.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Psalms 137:3

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

carried

↗

Past-tense or past-participial form of carry (to bear, convey, support, or take from one place to another).

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

us

↗

The first-person plural object pronoun, referring to the speaker together with one or more others as recipients or objects of an action or relation.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

required

↗

Past-tense or past-participial form of require (to ask, demand, call for, or hold someone accountable for what is due).

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

wasted

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of waste, meaning to consume, devour, destroy, ravage, or desolate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sing

↗

To produce musical sounds with the voice; to celebrate, praise, or tell in song.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Psalms 137:4

COMBINED MEANING

shall

↗

An auxiliary verb expressing future action, intention, promise, command, requirement, or determination.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

sing

↗

To produce musical sounds with the voice; to celebrate, praise, or tell in song.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

Lord

↗

1. A title of God or Jesus Christ acknowledging authority and rule. 2. A respectful title or address for one in authority.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

strange

↗

Foreign; belonging to another country. Wonderful; causing surprise; exciting curiosity.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

land

↗

Sense 1: The ground or earth; a country, territory, or region. Sense 2: To set or come on shore.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Psalms 137:5

COMBINED MEANING

forget

↗

To fail or cease to remember; to lose from mind; to neglect or disregard.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

let

↗

Sense 1: To allow or permit; in older KJV use, also to hinder or restrain. Sense 2: To lower or send down.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

right

↗

1. Correct, just, upright, proper, lawful, fitting, true, or due; also a rightful claim or authority. 2. The direction or side opposite the left. 3. Straight, favourable, skilful, or approved. 4. Very, quite, or fully.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

hand

↗

Sense 1: The part of the body at the end of the arm. Sense 2: Figuratively, power, possession, aid, or agency.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

cunning

↗

Skilful, expert, knowledgeable, ingenious, or artfully made in a craft, work, music, hunting, or another practice; where joined to deceit, subtly artful.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

READ BEFORE AND AFTER

Surrounding Verses

Nearby Scripture remains separate from the selected passage until you add it.

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

Selected passage

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

Selected passage

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

Selected passage

4How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

Selected passage

5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

Selected passage

6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

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