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 end, a Psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these words, all you nations, listen, all you that dwell upon the earth:
2 Both low and high, together rich and needy.
both the sons of mean men, and sons of [great] men; the rich and poor [man] together.
3 My mouth speaks wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall bring [forth] understanding.
4 I incline my ear to an allegory, I open my riddle with a harp:
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my riddle on the harp.
5 Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters surrounds me.
Therefore should I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall compass me.
6 Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Show themselves foolish.
They that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multitude of their wealth—
7 A brother ransoms no one at all, He does not give to God his atonement.
A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,
8 And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it has ceased for all time.
or the price of the redemption of his soul, though he labor for ever,
9 And still he lives forever, He does not see the pit.
and live to the end, [so] that he should not see corruption.
10 For he sees wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left their wealth to others.
When he shall see wise men dying, the fool and the senseless one shall perish together; and they shall leave their wealth 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 are their houses for ever, [even] their tabernacles to all generations: they have called their lands after their own names.
12 And man does not remain in honor, He has been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
And man being in honor, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like to them.
13 This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity are pleased with their sayings. (Selah)
This their way is an offense to them: yet afterwards men will commend their sayings. (Pause)
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)
They have laid [them] as sheep in Hades; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their help shall fail in Hades from their glory. (Sheol h7585)
But God shall deliver my soul from the power of Hades, when he shall receive me. (Pause) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not fear when one makes wealth, When the glory of his house is abundant,
Fear not when a man is enriched, and when the glory of his house is increased.
17 For at his death he receives nothing, His glory does not go down after him.
For he shall take nothing when he dies; neither 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 his soul shall be blessed in his life: he shall give thanks to you when you do well to him.
19 It comes to the generation of his fathers, They do not see the light forever.
[Yet] he shall go in to the generation of his fathers; he shall never see light.
20 Man in honor, who does not understand, Has been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
Man that is in honor, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them.
