Psalms 49

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¹Hear this, all ye nations; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world;

²Both high and low, rich and poor alike!

³My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my mind shall be understanding.

⁴I will incline mine ear to a poem; I will utter my song upon the harp.

⁵Why should I fear in the days of adversity, When the iniquity of my adversaries encompasseth me;

⁶They who trust in their riches, And glory in the greatness of their wealth?

⁷No one can redeem his brother from death, Nor give a ransom for him to God,

⁸That he should live to eternity, And not see the pit.

⁹Too costly is the redemption of his life, And he giveth it up for ever.

¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die, As well as the foolish and the ignorant; They perish alike, And leave their wealth to others.

¹¹They imagine that their houses will endure for ever, And their dwelling-places from generation to generation: Men celebrate their names on the earth.

¹²Yet man, who is in honor, abideth not; He is like the beasts that perish.

¹³Such is the way which is their confidence! And they who come after them approve their maxims. [Pause.]

¹⁴Like sheep they are cast into the underworld; Death shall feed upon them; And the upright shall soon trample upon them. Their form shall be consumed in the underworld, And they shall no more have a dwelling-place.

¹⁵But God will redeem my life from the underworld; Yea, he will take me under his care. [Pause.]

¹⁶Be not thou afraid, when one becometh rich; When the glory of his house is increased!

¹⁷For, when he dieth, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

¹⁸Though in his life he thought himself happy,—Though men praised thee, while thou wast in prosperity,—

¹⁹Yet shalt thou go to the dwelling-place of thy fathers, Who never more shall see the light!

²⁰The man who is in honor, but without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalms 49

¹Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

²Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

³My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

⁴I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

⁵Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

⁶They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

⁸(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

⁹That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their 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.

¹²Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

²⁰Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.