Psalms 49
1 “For the leader of the music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.” Hear this, all ye nations; Give ear, all ye 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 high and low, rich and poor alike!
All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my mind shall be understanding.
My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
4 I will incline mine ear to a poem; I will utter my song upon the harp.
I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
5 Why should I fear in the days of adversity, When the iniquity of my adversaries encompasseth me;
Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
6 They who trust in their riches, And glory in the greatness of their wealth?
They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
7 No one can redeem his brother from death, Nor give a ransom for him to God,
No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
8 That he should live to eternity, And not see the pit.
Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
9 Too costly is the redemption of his life, And he giveth it up for ever.
And shall still live unto the end.
10 For he seeth that wise men die, As well as the foolish and the ignorant; They perish alike, And leave 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 They imagine that their houses will endure for ever, And their dwelling-places from generation to generation: Men celebrate their names on the earth.
And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
12 Yet man, who is in honor, abideth not; He is like the beasts that perish.
And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
13 Such is the way which is their confidence! And they who come after them approve their maxims. (Pause)
This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
14 Like sheep they are cast into the underworld; Death shall feed upon them; And the upright shall soon trample upon them. Their form shall be consumed in the underworld, And they shall no more have a dwelling-place. (Sheol h7585)
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 h7585)
15 But God will redeem my life from the underworld; Yea, he will take me under his care. (Pause) (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me. (Sheol h7585)
16 Be not thou afraid, when one becometh rich; When the glory of his house is increased!
Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
17 For, when he dieth, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.
For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
18 Though in his life he thought himself happy, —Though men praised thee, while thou wast in prosperity, —
For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
19 Yet shalt thou go to the dwelling-place of thy fathers, Who never more shall see the light!
He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
20 The man who is in honor, but without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.
