Psalms 49
1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
2 both low and high, rich and poor alike.
All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
6 They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
7 No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
8 For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
And shall still live unto the end.
10 For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
He shall not see destruction, when he shall see the wise dying: the senseless and the fool shall perish together: And they shall leave their riches to strangers:
11 Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
12 But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
13 This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings.
This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
14 Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. (Sheol h7585)
They are laid in hell like sheep: death shall feed upon them. And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their help shall decay in hell from their glory. (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me. (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
18 Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.
