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,
To the Overseer. — By sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
Both low and high, together rich and needy.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.
My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; I will begin my parable with the harp.
I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:
5 Why should I fear the days of evil, when iniquity surrounds me at my heels?
Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.
6 Why should I fear those who trust in their wealth and boast about the amount of their riches?
Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.
7 It is certain that no one can redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him,
A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.
8 For the redemption of one's life is costly, and no one can pay what we owe.
And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased — to the age.
9 No one can live forever so that his body should not decay.
And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit.
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 wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.
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.
Their heart [is]: Their houses [are] to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands.
12 But man, having wealth, does not remain alive; he is like the beasts that perish.
And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
13 This, their way, is their folly; yet after them, men approve of their sayings. (Selah)
This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. (Selah)
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)
As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form [is] for consumption. Sheol [is] a dwelling for him. (Sheol h7585)
Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, and the glory of his house increases.
Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,
17 For when he dies he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.
18 He blessed his soul while he lived— and men praise you when you live for yourself—
For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers and they will never see the light again.
It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.
20 One who has wealth but no understanding is like the beasts, which perish.
Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
