Psalms 137:3

NETBible

for there our captors ask us to compose songs; 1  those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: 2  “Sing for us a song about Zion!” 3 

NIV ©

for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

NASB ©

For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."

NLT ©

For there our captors demanded a song of us. Our tormentors requested a joyful hymn: "Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!"

MSG ©

That's where our captors demanded songs, sarcastic and mocking: "Sing us a happy Zion song!"

BBE ©

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.

NRSV ©

For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

NKJV ©

For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying , "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

KJV
For there they that carried us away captive
<07617> (8802)
required
<07592> (8804)
of us a song
<01697> <07892>_;
and they that wasted
<08437>
us [required of us] mirth
<08057>_,
[saying], Sing
<07891> (8798)
us [one] of the songs
<07892>
of Zion
<06726>_.
{a song: Heb. the words of a song} {wasted...: Heb. laid us on heaps}
NASB ©
For there
<8033>
our captors
<7617>
demanded
<7592>
of us songs
<1697>
<7892>, And our tormentors
<8437>
mirth
<8057>
,
saying,
"Sing
<7891>
us one of the songs
<7892>
of Zion
<6726>
."
LXXM
(136:3) oti
<3754> 
CONJ
ekei
<1563> 
ADV
ephrwthsan {V-AAI-3P} hmav
<1473> 
P-AP
oi
<3588> 
T-NPM
aicmalwteusantev
<162> 
V-AAPNP
hmav
<1473> 
P-AP
logouv
<3056> 
N-APM
wdwn
<3592> 
N-GPF
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
oi
<3588> 
T-NPM
apagagontev
<520> 
V-AAPNP
hmav
<1473> 
P-AP
umnon
<5215> 
N-ASM
asate
<103> 
V-AAD-2P
hmin
<1473> 
P-DP
ek
<1537> 
PREP
twn
<3588> 
T-GPF
wdwn
<3592> 
N-GPF
siwn
<4622> 
N-PRI
NET [draft] ITL
for
<03588>
there
<08033>
our captors
<07617>
ask
<07592>
us to compose songs
<07892>

<01697>
; those who mock
<08437>
us demand that we be happy
<08057>
, saying: “Sing
<07891>
for us a song
<07892>
about Zion
<06726>
!”
HEBREW
Nwyu
<06726>
rysm
<07892>
wnl
<0>
wrys
<07891>
hxmv
<08057>
wnyllwtw
<08437>
rys
<07892>
yrbd
<01697>
wnybws
<07617>
wnwlas
<07592>
Ms
<08033>
yk (137:3)
<03588>
NETBible

for there our captors ask us to compose songs; 1  those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: 2  “Sing for us a song about Zion!” 3 

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “ask us [for] the words of a song.”

2 tn Heb “our [?] joy.” The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew phrase תוֹלָלֵינוּ (tolalenu, “our [?]”) are uncertain. A derivation from תָּלַל (talal, “to mock”) fits contextually, but this root occurs only in the Hiphil stem. For a discussion of various proposals, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 236.

3 tn Heb “from a song of Zion.” Most modern translations read, “one of the songs of Zion,” taking the preposition מִן (min, “from”) as partitive and “song” as collective. The present translation assumes the mem (ם) is enclitic, being misunderstood later as the prefixed preposition.