Psalms 49
1 For the chief musician. 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, rich and poor together.
both the sons of mean men, and sons of [great] men; the rich and poor [man] together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall bring [forth] understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; I will begin my parable with the harp.
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I fear the days of evil, when iniquity surrounds me at my heels?
Therefore should I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall compass me.
6 Why should I fear those who trust in their wealth and boast about the amount of their riches?
They that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multitude of their wealth—
7 It is certain that no one can redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him,
A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,
8 For the redemption of one's life is costly, and no one can pay what we owe.
or the price of the redemption of his soul, though he labor for ever,
9 No one can live forever so that his body should not decay.
and live to the end, [so] that he should not see corruption.
10 For he will see decay. Wise men die; the fool and the brute alike perish and leave 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 inner thought is that their families will continue forever, and the places where they live, to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
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 man, having wealth, does not remain alive; he is like the beasts that perish.
And man being in honor, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like to them.
13 This, their way, is their folly; yet after them, men approve of their sayings. (Selah)
This their way is an offense to them: yet afterwards men will commend their sayings. (Pause)
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol, and death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their bodies will be consumed in Sheol, with no place for them to live. (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 be afraid when one becomes rich, and the glory of his house increases.
Fear not when a man is enriched, and when the glory of his house is increased.
17 For when he dies he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
For he shall take nothing when he dies; neither shall his glory descend with him.
18 He blessed his soul while he lived— and men praise you when you live for yourself—
For his soul shall be blessed in his life: he shall give thanks to you when you do well to him.
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers and they will never see the light again.
[Yet] he shall go in to the generation of his fathers; he shall never see light.
20 One who has wealth but no understanding is like the beasts, which perish.
Man that is in honor, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them.
