< 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.
Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
2 Both low and high, together rich and needy.
All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
3 My mouth speaks wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
4 I incline my ear to an allegory, I open my riddle with a harp:
I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
5 Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters surrounds me.
Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
6 Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Show themselves foolish.
They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
7 A brother ransoms no one at all, He does not give to God his atonement.
No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
8 And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it has ceased for all time.
Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
9 And still he lives forever, He does not see the pit.
And shall still live unto the end.
10 For he sees wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left their wealth to others.
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:
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.
And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
12 And man does not remain in honor, He has been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
13 This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity are pleased with their sayings. (Selah)
This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
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 )
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 )
15 Only, God ransoms my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He receives me. (Selah) (Sheol )
But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me. (Sheol )
16 Do not fear when one makes wealth, When the glory of his house is abundant,
Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
17 For at his death he receives nothing, His glory does not go down after him.
For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
18 For he blesses his soul in his life (And they praise you when you do well for yourself).
For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
19 It comes to the generation of his fathers, They do not see the light forever.
He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
20 Man in honor, who does not understand, Has been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.