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,

For the end, a Psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these words, all you nations, listen, all you that dwell upon the earth:

2 both low and high, rich and poor together.

both the sons of mean men, and sons of [great] men; the rich and poor [man] together.

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

My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall bring [forth] understanding.

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

I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my riddle on the harp.

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

Therefore should I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall compass me.

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

They that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multitude of their wealth—

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

A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,

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

or the price of the redemption of his soul, though he labour for ever,

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

and live to the end, [so] that he should not see corruption.

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

When he shall see wise men dying, the fool and the senseless one shall perish together; and they shall leave their wealth 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 are their houses for ever, [even] their tabernacles to all generations: they have called their lands after their own names.

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

And man being in honour, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like to them.

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

This their way is an offence to them: yet afterwards men will commend their sayings. (Pause)

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 laid [them] as sheep in Hades; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their help shall fail in Hades 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 shall deliver my soul from the power of Hades, when he shall receive me. (Pause) (Sheol h7585)

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

Fear not when a man is enriched, and when the glory of his house is increased.

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

For he shall take nothing when he dies; neither 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 his soul shall be blessed in his life: he shall give thanks to you when you do well to him.

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

[Yet] he shall go in to the generation of his fathers; he shall never see light.

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

Man that is in honour, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them.