Psalms 49
1 For the music director. A psalm of the sons of Korah. Listen to this, everyone! Pay attention, people 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 whether you are highborn or lowborn, rich or poor!
Both sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —
3 For what I say is wise, and my thinking is perceptive.
My mouth, shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:
4 I pay attention to wise sayings; I answer hard questions to a tune on the harp.
I will bend, to a by-word, mine ear, I will open, on the lyre, mine enigma.
5 Why should I be afraid when trouble comes, when evil enemies surround 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 trust in their wealth; they boast about their riches,
As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,
7 but no one can pay to rescue another from death; no one can pay a ransom to God.
A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:
8 Redemption is beyond price; no one could ever pay enough
So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;
9 that they could live forever and not face the grave.
That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.
10 Everyone knows that the wise die, those who are foolish and stupid too, leaving what they have to the next generation.
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 They think their homes will last forever, that where they live will continue for all generations.
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 But human beings, for all their fame, don't understand. They die, just like the animals.
But, a son of earth, though wealthy, cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts, they resemble:
13 This is the way of foolish people, yet those who come after them think they were clever! (Selah)
This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)
14 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)
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 surely God will rescue me from the power of the grave; he will grab me back. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
But, God, will redeem my soul, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
16 Don't be disturbed when people become rich, filling their houses with possessions.
Do not fear, When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;
17 For they won't take anything with them when they die; their wealth will not go down into the grave with them.
For, when he dieth, he shall take, nothing, his glory shall not descend after him;
18 They congratulate themselves for all they possess—people always praise you when you do well—
For, though, his own self—while he lived, he used to bless, And they will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,
19 but their destiny is the same as their forefathers: they will never again see the light of day.
He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.
20 Human beings, for all their fame, don't understand, and they die, just like the animals.
A son of earth though wealthy, who discerneth not, Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts, they resemble.
