Psalms 49

1 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;

For the end, a Psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these words, all ye nations, hearken, all ye that dwell upon the earth:

2 Both sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —

both the sons of mean men, and sons of [great] men; the rich and poor [man] together.

3 My mouth, shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:

My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall bring [forth] understanding.

4 I will bend, to a by-word, mine ear, I will open, on the lyre, mine enigma.

I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my riddle on the harp.

5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of calamity, Though the iniquity of them who lie in wait for me should enclose me?

Wherefore should I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall compass me.

6 As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,

They that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multitude of their wealth—

7 A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:

A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,

8 So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;

or the price of the redemption of his soul, though he labour for ever,

9 That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.

and live to the end, [so] that he should not see corruption.

10 For it is seen that, the wise, die, Together with the dullard, and the brutish, do they perish, And leave, to others, their wealth:

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, inward thought, is that their houses are for times age-abiding, Their habitations, for generation after generation, —They give their own names unto 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 But, a son of earth, though wealthy, cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts, they resemble:

And man being in honour, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like to them.

13 This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)

This their way is an offence to them: yet afterwards men will commend their sayings. (Pause)

14 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)

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)

15 But, God, will redeem my soul, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (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 a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;

Fear not when a man is enriched, and when the glory of his house is increased.

17 For, when he dieth, he shall take, nothing, his glory shall not descend after him;

For he shall take nothing when he dies; neither shall his glory descend with him.

18 For, though, his own self—while he lived, he used to bless, And they will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,

For his soul shall be blessed in his life: he shall give thanks to thee when thou dost well to him.

19 He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.

[Yet] he shall go in to the generation of his fathers; he shall never see light.

20 A son of earth though wealthy, who discerneth not, Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts, they resemble.

Man that is in honour, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them.