Psalms 49

¹Give attention to this, all you peoples; let your ears be open, all you who are living in the world.

²High and low together, the poor, and those who have wealth.

³From my mouth will come words of wisdom; and in the thoughts of my heart will be knowledge.

⁴I will put my teaching into a story; I will make my dark sayings clear with music.

⁵What cause have I for fear in the days of evil, when the evil-doing of those who are working for my downfall is round about me?

⁶Even of those whose faith is in their wealth, and whose hearts are lifted up because of their stores.

⁷Truly, no man may get back his soul for a price, or give to God the payment for himself;

⁸(Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.)

⁹So that he might have eternal life, and never see the underworld.

¹⁰For he sees that wise men come to their end, and foolish persons of low behaviour come to destruction together, letting their wealth go to others.

¹¹The place of the dead is their house for ever, and their resting-place through all generations; those who come after them give their names to their lands.

¹²But man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

¹³This is the way of the foolish; their silver is for those who come after them, and their children get the pleasure of their gold. (Selah.)

¹⁴Death will give them their food like sheep; the underworld is their fate and they will go down into it; their flesh is food for worms; their form is wasted away; the underworld is their resting-place for ever.

¹⁵But God will get back my soul; for he will take me from the power of death. (Selah.)

¹⁶Have no fear when wealth comes to a man, and the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁷For at his death, he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

¹⁸Though he might have pride in his soul in his life-time, and men will give you praise if you do well for yourself,

¹⁹He will go to the generation of his fathers; he will not see the light again.

²⁰Man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

Psalms 49

¹Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

²both low and high, rich and poor together.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹¹Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

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

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

¹⁴They 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.

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

¹⁶Do not be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.

¹⁷For when he dies he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him.

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

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

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