Psalms 49

1 To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world:

To the Chief Musician. For the Sons of Korah. A Melody. Hear ye, this all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of this passing world;

2 Both men of low and men of high degree, rich and poor alike.

Both sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —

3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding:

My mouth, shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:

4 I will incline mine ear to a parable, I will open my riddle upon the harp.

I will bend, to a by-word, mine ear, I will open, on the lyre, mine enigma.

5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of adversity, [when] the iniquity of my supplanters encompasseth me? —

Wherefore should I fear in the days of calamity, Though the iniquity of them who lie in wait for me should enclose me?

6 They depend upon their wealth, and boast themselves in the abundance of their riches. ...

As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,

7 None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him,

A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:

8 (For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be given up for ever, )

So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;

9 That he should still live perpetually, [and] not see corruption.

That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.

10 For he seeth that wise men die; all alike, the fool and the brutish perish, and they leave their wealth to others.

For it is seen that, the wise, die, Together with the dullard, and the brutish, do they perish, And leave, to others, their wealth:

11 Their inward thought is, that their houses are for ever, their dwelling-places from generation to generation: they call the lands after their own names.

Their, inward thought, is that their houses are for times age-abiding, Their habitations, for generation after generation, —They give their own names unto lands!

12 Nevertheless, man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

But, a son of earth, though wealthy, cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts, they resemble:

13 This their way is their folly, yet they that come after them delight in their sayings. (Selah)

This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)

14 Like sheep are they laid in Sheol: Death feedeth on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their comeliness shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for them. (Sheol h7585)

Like sheep—into hades, are they driven, Death shall shepherd them, —And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, Even their form, is to decay, Hades, is all that remaineth of a habitation for him. (Sheol h7585)

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol: for he will receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

But, God, will redeem my soul, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

16 Be not afraid when a man becometh rich, when the glory of his house is increased:

Do not fear, When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;

17 For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.

For, when he dieth, he shall take, nothing, his glory shall not descend after him;

18 Though he blessed his soul in his lifetime, — and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself, —

For, though, his own self—while he lived, he used to bless, And they will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,

19 It shall go to the generation of his fathers: they shall never see light.

He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.

20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

A son of earth though wealthy, who discerneth not, Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts, they resemble.