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;

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 sons of the low, And sons of the high, —Together both rich and needy: —

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And shall still live unto the end.

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:

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 are for times age-abiding, Their habitations, for generation after generation, —They give their own names unto lands!

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

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

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

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

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)

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, out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

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

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

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

For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with 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 in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.

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

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

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

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