Psalm 49:1-20
To the Chief Musician. For the Sons of Korah. A Melody.
49 Hear ye this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of this passing world;
2 Both sons of the low And sons of the high,—Together both rich and needy:—
3 My mouth shall speak forth Wisdom, And the soft utterance of my heart be Understanding:
4 I will bend to a by-word mine ear, I will open on the lyre mine enigma.
5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of calamity, Though the iniquity of them who lie in wait for me should enclose me?
6 As for them who are trusting in their wealth,—And in the abundance of their riches do boast themselves
7 A brother can none of them redeem, He cannot give unto God a ransom for himself:
8 So costly is the redemption of their soul, That it faileth unto times age-abiding;
9 That he should yet live on continually, 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:
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!
12 But a son of earth though wealthy cannot tarry, He hath made himself a by-word—Beasts they resemble!
13 This their way is a folly to them, And yet their followers with their mouth approve. [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.
15 But God will redeem my soul out of the hand of hades, For he will take me. [Selah.
16 Do not fear When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;
17 For when he dieth he shall take nothing, 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
19 He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore shall they see the light.
20 A son of earth though wealthy who discerneth not Hath made himself a by-word, Beasts they resemble!