Last Sunday's Reading

Last Sunday, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, was Laetare Sunday. Laetare translates from the Latin to "rejoice," and the Sunday is seen as a time to relax the Lenten observances a little -- sort of a chance to come up for air before the final push to Easter.

Anyway, our psalm for the Sunday service was Psalm 137:

By the rivers of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.

For there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"

How could we sing a song of the Lord
in a foreign land?

It's great poetry, and, of course, I couldn't help but think of the reggae song. That got me checking things out, however, and it turns out that there is a last verse to the psalm that nobody ever says:

Desolate Daughter Babylon, you shall be destroyed,
blessed the one who pays you back what you have done us!
Blessed the one who seizes your children
and smashes them against the rock.

They always cut out the best parts.