Psalms 49
1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
For the music director. A psalm of the sons of Korah. Listen to this, everyone! Pay attention, people of the world—
2 both low and high, rich and poor alike.
whether you are highborn or lowborn, rich or poor!
3 My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
For what I say is wise, and my thinking is perceptive.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
I pay attention to wise sayings; I answer hard questions to a tune on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
Why should I be afraid when trouble comes, when evil enemies surround me?
6 They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
They trust in their wealth; they boast about their riches,
7 No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
but no one can pay to rescue another from death; no one can pay a ransom to God.
8 For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
Redemption is beyond price; no one could ever pay enough
9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
that they could live forever and not face the grave.
10 For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
Everyone knows that the wise die, those who are foolish and stupid too, leaving what they have to the next generation.
11 Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
They think their homes will last forever, that where they live will continue for all generations.
12 But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
But human beings, for all their fame, don't understand. They die, just like the animals.
13 This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings.
This is the way of foolish people, yet those who come after them think they were clever! (Selah)
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)
Like sheep they are destined for the grave. Death will be their shepherd. Those who live right will rule over them in the morning. Their bodies will decay in the grave, far from their homes. (Sheol h7585)
But surely God will rescue me from the power of the grave; he will grab me back. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
Don't be disturbed when people become rich, filling their houses with possessions.
17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
For they won't take anything with them when they die; their wealth will not go down into the grave with them.
18 Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
They congratulate themselves for all they possess—people always praise you when you do well—
19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
but their destiny is the same as their forefathers: they will never again see the light of day.
20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Human beings, for all their fame, don't understand, and they die, just like the animals.
