Psalms 49

1 To the Chief Musician. For the Sons of Korah. A Melody. Hear ye, this all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of this passing 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 sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —

Both low and high, together rich and needy.

3 My mouth, shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:

My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.

4 I will bend, to a by-word, mine ear, I will open, on the lyre, mine enigma.

I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:

5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of calamity, Though the iniquity of them who lie in wait for me should enclose me?

Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.

6 As for them who are trusting in their wealth, —And, in the abundance of their riches, do boast themselves,

Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.

7 A brother, can none of them, redeem, he cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:

A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.

8 So costly, is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;

And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased — to the age.

9 That he should, yet, live on, continually, Should not see corruption.

And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit.

10 For it is seen that, the wise, die, Together with the dullard, and the brutish, do they perish, And leave, to others, their wealth:

For he seeth wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.

11 Their, inward thought, is that their houses are for times age-abiding, Their habitations, for generation after generation, —They give their own names unto lands!

Their heart [is]: Their houses [are] to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands.

12 But, a son of earth, though wealthy, cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts, they resemble:

And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.

13 This, their way, is a folly to them, And yet, their followers, with their mouth, approve. (Selah)

This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. (Selah)

14 Like sheep—into hades, are they driven, Death shall shepherd them, —And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, Even their form, is to decay, Hades, is all that remaineth of a habitation for him. (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)

15 But, God, will redeem my soul, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

16 Do not fear, When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;

Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,

17 For, when he dieth, he shall take, nothing, his glory shall not descend after him;

For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.

18 For, though, his own self—while he lived, he used to bless, And they will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,

For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)

19 He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.

It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.

20 A son of earth though wealthy, who discerneth not, Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts, they resemble.

Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!