< Psalms 49 >
1 HEAR this, all ye people; give ear, all ye 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 low and high, rich and poor, together.
Both sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —
3 My mouth shall speak of 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 dark saying 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 evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
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 that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,
7 None of them 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 precious, and it ceaseth for ever: )
So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;
9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.
10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and 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 shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their 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 their posterity approve their sayings. (Selah)
This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. (Sheol )
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 )
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. (Selah) (Sheol )
But, God, will redeem my soul, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (Sheol )
16 Be not thou afraid when one is made 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 while he lived he blessed his soul: 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 He 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.