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 leader of the music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.” Hear this, all ye nations; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world;
2 Both sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —
Both high and low, rich and poor alike!
3 My mouth, shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:
My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my mind shall be 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 poem; I will utter my song upon 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?
Why should I fear in the days of adversity, When the iniquity of my adversaries encompasseth me;
6 As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,
They who trust in their riches, And glory in the greatness of their wealth?
7 A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:
No one can redeem his brother from death, Nor give a ransom for him to God,
8 So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;
That he should live to eternity, And not see the pit.
9 That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.
Too costly is the redemption of his life, And he giveth it up for ever.
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:
For he seeth that wise men die, As well as the foolish and the ignorant; They perish alike, And leave their wealth to others.
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!
They imagine that their houses will endure for ever, And their dwelling-places from generation to generation: Men celebrate their names on the earth.
12 But, a son of earth, though wealthy, cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts, they resemble:
Yet man, who is in honor, abideth not; He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)
Such is the way which is their confidence! And they who come after them approve their maxims. (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)
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)
15 But, God, will redeem my soul, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my life from the underworld; Yea, he will take me under his care. (Pause) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not fear, When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;
Be not thou afraid, when one becometh rich; 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, when he dieth, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after 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,
Though in his life he thought himself happy, —Though men praised thee, while thou wast in prosperity, —
19 He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.
Yet shalt thou go to the dwelling-place of thy fathers, Who never more shall see the light!
20 A son of earth though wealthy, who discerneth not, Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts, they resemble.
The man who is in honor, but without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
