Psalms 49

1 Unto the end. A Psalm to the sons of Korah. Hear these things, all nations. Pay attention, all inhabitants of the world:

For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,

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

both low and high, rich and poor together.

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

My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a parable. I will open my case with the psaltery.

I will incline my ear to a parable; I will begin my parable with the harp.

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

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

6 Those who trust in their own strength and who glory in the multitude of their riches,

Why should I fear those who trust in their wealth and boast about the amount of their riches?

7 no brother redeems, nor will man buy back. He will not give to God his appeasement,

It is certain that no one can redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him,

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

For the redemption of one's life is costly, and no one can pay what we owe.

9 and he will still live, until the end.

No one can live forever so that his body should not decay.

10 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.

For he will see decay. Wise men die; the fool and the brute alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

11 And their sepulchers will be their houses forever, their tabernacles from generation to generation. They have called their names in their own lands.

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.

12 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.

But man, having wealth, does not remain alive; he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This way of theirs is a scandal to them. And afterwards, they will delight in their mouth.

This, their way, is their folly; yet after them, men approve of their sayings. (Selah)

14 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)

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)

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

But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol; he will receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

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

Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, and the glory of his house increases.

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

For when he dies he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

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

He blessed his soul while he lived— and men praise you when you live for yourself—

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

he will go to the generation of his fathers and they will never see the light again.

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

One who has wealth but no understanding is like the beasts, which perish.