1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 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.
4 How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning .
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it , rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be , that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9 Happy shall he be , that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
Tjililo tje Baiziraela bali kutapiwa
1 Pa njizi dze Bhabhiloni,
takagala pasi ngono tikalila
ha tikumbula Ziyoni.
2 Mu miti inoyi wilo
tikatilika matende edu.
3 Ngobe batapi bedu
bakati tibambile njimbo,
ne balisi bedu beti tibambile tibashathise,
bakatidwa bakati,
“Mutimbile gumwe gwe njimbo dze Ziyoni!”
4 Apa tingamba lumbo gwa Yahwe tjini
mu shango ye butaya kene?
5 Ha ndingakukangang'wa, iwe Jerusalema,
luboko gwangu gwe luji ngagushweshwane!
6 Lulimi gwangu ngagunamatile bgwasha gwangu,
ha ndisinga mukumbulukigwe,
ha ndisinga tole Jerusalema
ili shatho yangu wulu.
7 Kumbulani, imwi Yahwe,
ngekwe tjakathamwa ne Baedomu
mu zhuba lakawa Jerusalema
sekwa bakalebeleka beti, “Muwulige! Muwulige!
Kudwa pezhugwi kunoti ku thiwa dzawo!”
8 Iwe nkololokadzi we Bhabhiloni, iwe mpaladzi!
Bakakombolegwa ibabo banowokubgwilizila
itjetji tjawakatithama!
9 Bakakombolegwa ibabo banotola ngawana dzidzo
bebe bedzipkhwanyila pa shongwe!