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.
“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 All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
Both high and low, rich and poor alike!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my mind shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
I will incline mine ear to a poem; I will utter my song upon the harp.
5 Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
Why should I fear in the days of adversity, When the iniquity of my adversaries encompasseth me;
6 They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
They who trust in their riches, And glory in the greatness of their wealth?
7 No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
No one can redeem his brother from death, Nor give a ransom for him to God,
8 Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
That he should live to eternity, And not see the pit.
9 And shall still live unto the end.
Too costly is the redemption of his life, And he giveth it up for ever.
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 seeth that wise men die, As well as the foolish and the ignorant; They perish alike, And leave 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.
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 And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
Yet man, who is in honor, abideth not; He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
Such is the way which is their confidence! And they who come after them approve their maxims. (Pause)
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 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 Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
Be not thou afraid, when one becometh rich; When the glory of his house is increased!
17 For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
For, when he dieth, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.
18 For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
Though in his life he thought himself happy, —Though men praised thee, while thou wast in prosperity, —
19 He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
Yet shalt thou go to the dwelling-place of thy fathers, Who never more shall see the light!
20 Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.
The man who is in honor, but without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
