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 Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,
2 Both sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —
both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth, shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:
My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart will utter understanding.
4 I will bend, to a by-word, mine ear, I will open, on the lyre, mine enigma.
I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve 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?
Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,
Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—
7 A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:
none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.
8 So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;
For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,
9 That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.
that he should live on forever, 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:
For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, 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!
Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.
12 But, a son of earth, though wealthy, cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts, they resemble:
But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.
13 This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)
This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. (Selah)
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 are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion. (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 soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not fear, When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;
Don’t be afraid when a man is made 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 dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t 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 while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.
he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
20 A son of earth though wealthy, who discerneth not, Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts, they resemble.
A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.
