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 leader of the music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.” Hear this, all ye nations; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world;
2 both low and high, rich and poor alike.
Both high and low, rich and poor alike!
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 mind shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
I will incline mine ear to a poem; I will utter my song upon the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
Why should I fear in the days of adversity, When the iniquity of my adversaries encompasseth me;
6 They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
They who trust in their riches, And glory in the greatness of their wealth?
7 No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
No one can redeem his brother from death, Nor give a ransom for him to God,
8 For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
That he should live to eternity, And not see the pit.
9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
Too costly is the redemption of his life, And he giveth it up for ever.
10 For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
For he seeth that wise men die, As well as the foolish and the ignorant; They perish alike, And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
They imagine that their houses will endure for ever, And their dwelling-places from generation to generation: Men celebrate their names on the earth.
12 But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
Yet man, who is in honor, abideth not; He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings.
Such is the way which is their confidence! And they who come after them approve their maxims. (Pause)
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 cast into the underworld; Death shall feed upon them; And the upright shall soon trample upon them. Their form shall be consumed in the underworld, And they shall no more have a dwelling-place. (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my life from the underworld; Yea, he will take me under his care. (Pause) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
Be not thou afraid, when one becometh rich; When the glory of his house is increased!
17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
For, when he dieth, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.
18 Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
Though in his life he thought himself happy, —Though men praised thee, while thou wast in prosperity, —
19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
Yet shalt thou go to the dwelling-place of thy fathers, Who never more shall see the light!
20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
The man who is in honor, but without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
