Home Master Index
←Prev   Psalms 49 as rendered by/in  Next→ 


49:1  To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Listen carefully, all inhabitants of the world,
49:2  Both low and high, Rich and poor together:
49:3  My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
49:4  I will incline my ear and consent to a proverb; On the lyre I will unfold my riddle.
49:5  Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the wickedness of those who would betray me surrounds me [on every side],
49:6  Even those who trust in and rely on their wealth And boast of the abundance of their riches?
49:7  None of them can by any means redeem [either himself or] his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—
49:8  For the ransom of his soul is too costly, And he should cease trying forever—
49:9  So that he should live on eternally, That he should never see the pit (grave) and undergo decay.
49:10  For he sees that even wise men die; The fool and the stupid alike perish And leave their wealth to others.
49:11  Their inward thought is that their houses will continue forever, And their dwelling places to all generations; They have named their lands after their own names [ignoring God].
49:12  But man, with all his [self] honor and pomp, will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.
49:13  This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident, And of those after them who approve [and are influenced by] their words. Selah.
49:14  Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead); Death will be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form and beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, So that they have no dwelling [on earth].
49:15  But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.
49:16  Be not afraid when [an ungodly] man becomes rich, When the wealth and glory of his house are increased;
49:17  For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.
49:18  Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous— And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
49:19  He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never again see the light.
49:20  A man [who is held] in honor, Yet who lacks [spiritual] understanding and a teachable heart, is like the beasts that perish.