Psalms 49

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.

2 both low and high, rich and poor together.

All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart will utter understanding.

My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle on the harp.

I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.

6 Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—

They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,

7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,

8 For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,

9 that he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

And shall still live unto the end.

10 For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.

He shall not see destruction, when he shall see the wise dying: the senseless and the fool shall perish together: And they shall leave their riches to strangers:

11 Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.

12 But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.

13 This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. (Selah)

This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.

14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion. (Sheol h7585)

They are laid in hell like sheep: death shall feed upon them. And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their help shall decay in hell from their glory. (Sheol h7585)

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me. (Sheol h7585)

16 Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.

17 for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him.

For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.

18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.

19 he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.

He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.

20 A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.

Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.