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 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 low and high, rich and poor together.
Both high and low, rich and poor alike!
3 My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.
My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my mind shall be 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 poem; I will utter my song upon the harp.
5 Why should I fear the days of evil, when iniquity surrounds me at my heels?
Why should I fear in the days of adversity, When the iniquity of my adversaries encompasseth me;
6 Why should I fear those who trust in their wealth and boast about the amount of their riches?
They who trust in their riches, And glory in the greatness of their wealth?
7 It is certain that no one can redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him,
No one can redeem his brother from death, Nor give a ransom for him to God,
8 For the redemption of one's life is costly, and no one can pay what we owe.
That he should live to eternity, And not see the pit.
9 No one can live forever so that his body should not decay.
Too costly is the redemption of his life, And he giveth it up for ever.
10 For he will see decay. Wise men die; the fool and the brute alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
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 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.
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 man, having wealth, does not remain alive; he is like the beasts that perish.
Yet man, who is in honor, abideth not; He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This, their way, is their folly; yet after them, men approve of their sayings. (Selah)
Such is the way which is their confidence! And they who come after them approve their maxims. (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)
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)
But God will redeem my life from the underworld; Yea, he will take me under his care. (Pause) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, and the glory of his house increases.
Be not thou afraid, when one becometh rich; 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, when he dieth, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.
18 He blessed his soul while he lived— and men praise you when you live for yourself—
Though in his life he thought himself happy, —Though men praised thee, while thou wast in prosperity, —
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers and they will never see the light again.
Yet shalt thou go to the dwelling-place of thy fathers, Who never more shall see the light!
20 One who has wealth but no understanding is like the beasts, which perish.
The man who is in honor, but without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
