Psalms 49
1 “To the chief musician, by the sons of Korach, a psalm.” Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the perishable 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 the sons of the low and the sons of the high, rich and needy, altogether.
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 my ear to a parable: I will open with the harp my riddle.
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 oppressors 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 Of those that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves of 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 No one can in any wise redeem his brother, nor can he give to God redemption money for himself;
A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:
8 For the ransom of their soul is too costly, and it is omitted for ever.
So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;
9 And should he still live for ever? not see the pit?
That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.
10 For he must see that wise men die, that together the fool and the brutish person perish and leave to others their wealth.
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 to be for ever, their dwelling-places, from generation to generation; they call them by their own names in [various] countries.
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 in [his] splendor endureth 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 is their way, their folly: yet their posterity will take pleasure in their sayings. (Selah)
This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)
14 Like flocks are they thrust into the nether world; death will feed them; but the upright shall have dominion over them in that morning, and their form wasteth away in the nether world, [taken away] from their own dwelling. (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 the nether world; for he will take me away. (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 thou 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 can take nothing away; his glory will not descend after him.
For, when he dieth, he shall take, nothing, his glory shall not descend after him;
18 For though he bless his soul during his life, and men 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 She shall go to the generation of his fathers, unto eternity will these never see light.
He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.
20 Man, though in splendor, who 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.
