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,
You people of all ethnic groups, listen! You people all over the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
important people and unimportant people, rich people and poor people, everyone, [listen to what I am saying],
3 My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.
[because] what I am thinking is very sensible, and what I say will enable you to become wise!
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; I will begin my parable with the harp.
I think about [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings), and while I play my harp, I explain what they mean.
5 Why should I fear the days of evil, when iniquity surrounds me at my heels?
I am not [RHQ] afraid when I am in trouble/danger, when I am surrounded by my enemies,
6 Why should I fear those who trust in their wealth and boast about the amount of their riches?
by evil men who trust that [things will always go well for them because] they are wealthy, and who boast about being very rich.
7 It is certain that no one can redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him,
[They may be rich], but no one can pay money with the result that he would live forever! No one can pay God enough so that God will allow him [to continue] to live,
8 For the redemption of one's life is costly, and no one can pay what we owe.
because that cost is too great, and he will never be able to pay enough
9 No one can live forever so that his body should not decay.
with the result that he will live forever and never [die and] be buried!
10 For he will see decay. Wise men die; the fool and the brute alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
We see that foolish and stupid people die, but we see that wise people also die; they all leave their wealth, and others inherit it.
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.
Those wise people once had [houses on] land that they owned, [but now] their graves are their homes forever, the place where they will stay for all time!
12 But man, having wealth, does not remain alive; he is like the beasts that perish.
Even if people are great, that cannot prevent them from dying; all people die, the same as animals do.
13 This, their way, is their folly; yet after them, men approve of their sayings. (Selah)
That is what happens to those who foolishly trust [in what they have accomplished], to those who are delighted in [all] that they possess.
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 are certain to die just like sheep, when a shepherd leads them away to be slaughtered. [PRS, MET] In the morning righteous people will rule over them, and then [those wealthy people will die and] their bodies will quickly decay in their graves; they will be where dead people are, far from their homes. (Sheol h7585)
But it is certain that God will rescue me so that I am not kept in the place of the dead. (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, and the glory of his house increases.
[So], do not be dismayed when someone becomes rich and the houses where they live become more and more luxurious,
17 For when he dies he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
because when he dies, he will take nothing with him; his wealth will not go with him.
18 He blessed his soul while he lived— and men praise you when you live for yourself—
While [a rich person] is alive, he congratulates himself, and people praise him for being successful,
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers and they will never see the light again.
but he will [die], joining his ancestors, who will never see daylight again.
20 One who has wealth but no understanding is like the beasts, which perish.
Even if someone is great, that cannot prevent him from dying; he will die, the same as animals do.
