Psalms 137 · Preschool

Remembering Home

Name Date

Color the river, the trees, and the harps. God's people missed their home.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”

Psalms 137:1 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: God's people were far from home and felt sad. When we feel sad, we can tell God. He cares for us.

Open Kindergarten on its own page

Psalms 137 · Kindergarten

Far from Home

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace each word with your pencil.

RIVER

HARP

TREE

HOME

If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

Psalms 137:5 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each word to its picture.

RIVER

HARP

TREE

HOME

Mini Maze

Help find the way through the maze.

Draw It

Draw a river with willow trees.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with us when we are sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

Where did God's people sit and cry?
What did they miss?

Open Grade 1 on its own page

Psalms 137 · Grade 1

We Remember Zion

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace the words and the verse.

RIVERS

WEPT

HARPS

REMEMBER

If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

Psalms 137:5 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each sentence to its picture.

By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down.

We wept when we remembered Zion.

On the willows we hung up our harps.

Sing us one of the songs of Zion!

If I forget you, Jerusalem.

We Remembered Zion

Write the number 1 to 3 in each circle to show the right order.

On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps

If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

Draw a river with willow trees.

Memory Verse

“If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.”

Psalms 137:5 (WEB)

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with us when we are sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

What did they hang on the trees?
What can you tell God when you are sad?
What would you like to say to God about this chapter?

Open Grade 2 on its own page

Psalms 137 · Grade 2

A Sad Song

Name Date

Read the Story

Psalm 137 is a sad song. God's people were taken far away to Babylon. They sat by the rivers and cried. They missed their home, Jerusalem.

They hung their harps on the trees. People asked them to sing happy songs. But they were too sad to sing. They promised never to forget Jerusalem. God heard their sad prayer.

Memory Verse

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”

Psalms 137:1 (WEB)

Show What You Know

Circle the right answer, or write it on the lines.

Where were God's people taken?
On the treesTo BabylonTheir home, Jerusalem
What did they do by the rivers?
They sat and criedTheir home, JerusalemTo Babylon
What did they miss?
Their home, JerusalemNever to forget JerusalemTo Babylon
Where did they hang their harps?
To BabylonOn the treesThey sat and cried
What did they promise?
Never to forget JerusalemOn the treesThey sat and cried

Word Search

Find and circle each word. Words go across and down.

JERUSALEM
BABYLON
RIVERS
HARPS
WEPT
ZION
SONG

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with us when we are sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

Why were the people sad?
What did the captors ask for?

Open Grade 3 on its own page

Psalms 137 · Grade 3

A Song Far from Home

Name Date

Read the Story

Psalm 137 has no title. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps. Their captors asked them to sing songs of Zion. But they asked, How can we sing Yahweh's song in a foreign land?

They promised never to forget Jerusalem. If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. The psalm ends with a sad and angry prayer asking God to bring justice. God listens to honest prayers.

Memory Verse

“How can we sing Yahweh’s song in a foreign land?”

Psalms 137:4 (WEB)

Answer the Questions

Where did the people sit and weep?
What did they remember?
Where did they hang their harps?
What question did they ask?
What did they promise?

We Remembered Zion

Write what happened in each box.

1

2

3

Word Search

Find each word. Words go across, down, and diagonally.

JERUSALEM
BABYLON
RIVERS
HARPS
WEPT
ZION
SONG

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with us when we are sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

The people missed their home. How can you help someone who misses home?
Does God listen to sad prayers?

Open Grade 4 on its own page

Psalms 137 · Grade 4

Grief in Captivity

Name Date

Read and Think

Psalm 137 has no title. It remembers God's people as captives in Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.

Their captors mocked them: Sing us one of the songs of Zion! The captives answered, How can we sing Yahweh's song in a foreign land? Their songs were about God's house in Jerusalem. They promised, If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

The final verses are a cry of deep pain. The people ask God to remember what Edom and Babylon did when Jerusalem fell. The words are angry and raw. Christians see that the psalm gives honest words to grief, and that it brings the desire for justice to God instead of taking revenge.

Show What You Know

What does the psalm remember?
Why did the captives hang up their harps?
What did they promise about Jerusalem?
What do the final verses do with the desire for justice?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

harpsZionJerusalemweptrivers

By the of Babylon, there we sat down.
Yes, we , when we remembered Zion.
On the willows in that land, we hung up our .
Their captors mocked them: Sing us one of the songs of !
They promised, If I forget you, , let my right hand forget its skill.

Think About It

The captives told God exactly how they felt. What feelings can you bring honestly to God in prayer?
They promised not to forget Jerusalem. What helps you remember God when you feel far from home?

Memory Verse

“How can we sing Yahweh’s song in a foreign land?”

Psalms 137:4 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with us when we are sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How can you bring your sadness to God?
When is it hard for you to worship?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

Psalms 137 · Grade 5

Honest Prayer in Sorrow

Name Date

Read and Think

Psalm 137 has no title. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. The singers hung up their harps on the willows.

Their captors demanded songs of joy: Sing us one of the songs of Zion! The captives answered, How can we sing Yahweh's song in a foreign land? Then the singer vows loyalty: If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you.

The closing verses (7 to 9) are among the most painful in Scripture. The singer asks Yahweh to remember Edom for the day of Jerusalem's fall and pronounces a terrible judgment on Babylon. These are the words of a victim's grief and anger, spoken to God. Scripture records them honestly. Christians do not pray them as their own wish for harm, but learn from them to bring pain and the longing for justice to God. In the New Testament, Paul writes, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord (Romans 12:19).

Show What You Know

Where did the singers sit down and weep?
What did the captors ask for?
Whom does the singer ask God to remember?
How do Christians learn from the closing verses?

Crossword

Across

Sing us one of the songs of ____.
We hung up our ____.

Down

By the rivers of ____.
By the ____ of Babylon.
How can we sing Yahweh’s ____ in a foreign land.

Think About It

Scripture records the captives' grief and anger honestly. How can you bring your sad feelings to God in prayer?
The captives struggled to sing in a foreign land. How can Christians keep worshiping when life feels strange or hard?

Memory Verse

“How can we sing Yahweh’s song in a foreign land?”

Psalms 137:4 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with us when we are sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

What can you do with anger instead of getting even?
How does Romans 12:19 help us read Psalm 137?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Psalms 137: By the Rivers of Babylon

Read Psalms 137

Worksheets

Remembering Home

Prayer

Take It Home

Far from Home

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

We Remember Zion

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

We Remembered Zion

Prayer

Take It Home

A Sad Song

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

A Song Far from Home

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

We Remembered Zion

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

Grief in Captivity

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

Honest Prayer in Sorrow

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

More print options