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;

For the Chief Musician; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. 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, 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 shall be of understanding.

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

I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

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

Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels compasseth me about?

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 wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

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

None [of them] can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

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

(For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be let alone for ever: )

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

That he should still live alway, that he should not see corruption.

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 that wise men die, the fool and the brutish together perish, and leave their wealth to others.

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 inward thought is, [that] their houses [shall continue] for ever, [and] their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

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

But man abideth not in honour: he is like the beasts that perish.

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

This their way is their folly: yet after them men approve their sayings. (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)

They are appointed as a flock for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd: and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for it. (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 power of Sheol: for he shall receive me. (Selah) (Sheol h7585)

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

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased:

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

For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend 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,

Though while he lived he blessed his soul, and men praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,

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

He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see the light.

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

Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.