Psalms 49
1 To victorie, a salm to the sones of Chore. Alle ye folkis, here these thingis; alle ye that dwellen in the world, perseyue with eeris.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Alle the sones of erthe and the sones of men; togidere the riche man and the pore in to oon.
both low and high, rich and poor alike.
3 Mi mouth schal speke wisdom; and the thenkyng of myn herte schal speke prudence.
My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
4 I schal bouwe doun myn eere in to a parable; Y schal opene my resoun set forth in a sautree.
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
5 Whi schal Y drede in the yuel dai? the wickidnesse of myn heele schal cumpasse me.
Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
6 Whiche tristen in her owne vertu; and han glorie in the multitude of her richessis.
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
7 A brother ayenbieth not, schal a man ayenbie? and he schal not yyue to God his plesyng.
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
8 And he schal not yyue the prijs of raunsum of his soule; and he schal trauele with outen ende,
For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
9 and he schal lyue yit in to the ende.
that he should live on forever and not see decay.
10 He schal not se perischyng, whanne he schal se wise men diynge; the vnwise man and fool schulen perische togidere. And thei schulen leeue her richessis to aliens;
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 and the sepulcris of hem ben the housis of hem with outen ende. The tabernaclis of hem ben in generacioun and generacioun; thei clepiden her names in her londis.
Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
12 A man, whanne he was in honour, vndurstood not; he is comparisound to vnwise beestis, and he is maad lijk to tho.
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This weie of hem is sclaundir to hem; and aftirward thei schulen plese togidere in her mouth.
This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings.
14 As scheep thei ben set in helle; deth schal gnawe hem. And iust men schulen be lordis of hem in the morewtid; and the helpe of hem schal wexe eld in helle, for the glorie of hem. (Sheol h7585)
Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. (Sheol h7585)
15 Netheles God schal ayenbie my soule from the power of helle; whanne he schal take me. (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. (Sheol h7585)
16 Drede thou not, whanne a man is maad riche; and the glorie of his hows is multiplied.
Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
17 For whanne he schal die, he schal not take alle thingis; and his glorie schal not go doun with him.
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
18 For his soule schal be blessid in his lijf; he schal knouleche to thee, whanne thou hast do wel to hym.
Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
19 He schal entre til in to the generaciouns of hise fadris; and til in to with outen ende he schal not se liyt.
he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
20 A man, whanne he was in honour, vndurstood not; he is comparisound to vnwise beestis, and is maad lijk to tho.
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
