Psalms 49
1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Hear this, all you peoples, Give ear, all you inhabitants of the world.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high, together rich and needy.
both low and high, rich and poor alike.
3 My mouth speaks wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
4 I incline my ear to an allegory, I open my riddle with a harp:
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
5 Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters surrounds me.
Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
6 Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Show themselves foolish.
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
7 A brother ransoms no one at all, He does not give to God his atonement.
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
8 And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it has ceased for all time.
For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
9 And still he lives forever, He does not see the pit.
that he should live on forever and not see decay.
10 For he sees wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left their wealth to others.
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their heart [is that] their houses [are] for all time, Their dwelling places from generation to generation. They proclaimed their names over the lands.
Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
12 And man does not remain in honor, He has been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity are pleased with their sayings. (Selah)
This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings.
14 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 h7585)
Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not fear when one makes wealth, When the glory of his house is abundant,
Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
17 For at his death he receives nothing, His glory does not go down after him.
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
18 For he blesses his soul in his life (And they praise you when you do well for yourself).
Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
19 It comes to the generation of his fathers, They do not see the light forever.
he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
20 Man in honor, who does not understand, Has been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
