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 to the sons of Korah. Hear these things, all nations. Pay attention, all inhabitants of the world:

2 both low and high, rich and poor together.

whoever is earth-born, you sons of men, together as one, the rich and the poor.

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

My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will speak prudence.

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 case with the psaltery.

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

Why should I fear in the evil day? The iniquity at my heel will surround me.

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

Those who trust in their own strength and who 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 redeems, nor will man buy back. He will not give to God his appeasement,

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

nor the price for the redemption of his soul. And he will labor continuously,

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

and he will still live, until the end.

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

He will not see death, when he sees the wise dying: the foolish and the senseless will perish together. And they will 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 sepulchers will be their houses forever, their tabernacles from generation to generation. They have called their names in their own lands.

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

And man, when he was held in honor, did not understand. He has been compared to the senseless beasts, and he has become like 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 scandal to them. And afterwards, they will 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 have been placed in Hell like sheep. Death will feed on them. And the just will have dominion over them in the morning. And their help will grow old in Hell for their glory. (Sheol h7585)

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

Even so, truly God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hell, when he will receive me. (Sheol h7585)

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

Do not be afraid, when a man will have been made rich, and when the glory of his house will have been multiplied.

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

For when he dies, he will take nothing away, and his glory will not descend with him.

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

For his soul will be blessed in his lifetime, and he will admit to you when you do good to him.

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

He will even enter with the progeny of his fathers, but, even in eternity, he will not see the light.

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

Man, when he was in honor, did not understand. He has been compared to the senseless beasts, and he has become like them.