< Psalms 49 >
1 Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Hear this, all you peoples, Give ear, all you inhabitants of the world.
2 All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
Both low and high, together rich and needy.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
My mouth speaks wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
I incline my ear to an allegory, I open my riddle with a harp:
5 Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters surrounds me.
6 They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Show themselves foolish.
7 No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
A brother ransoms no one at all, He does not give to God his atonement.
8 Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it has ceased for all time.
9 And shall still live unto the end.
And still he lives forever, He does not see the pit.
10 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:
For he sees wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left their wealth to others.
11 And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
Their heart [is that] their houses [are] for all time, Their dwelling places from generation to generation. They proclaimed their names over the lands.
12 And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
And man does not remain in honor, He has been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
13 This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity are pleased with their sayings. (Selah)
14 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 )
They have set themselves as sheep for Sheol, Death afflicts them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form [is] for consumption. Sheol [is] a dwelling for him. (Sheol )
15 But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me. (Sheol )
Only, God ransoms my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He receives me. (Selah) (Sheol )
16 Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
Do not fear when one makes wealth, When the glory of his house is abundant,
17 For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
For at his death he receives nothing, His glory does not go down after him.
18 For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
For he blesses his soul in his life (And they praise you when you do well for yourself).
19 He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
It comes to the generation of his fathers, They do not see the light forever.
20 Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.
Man in honor, who does not understand, Has been like the beasts, they have been cut off!