Psalm 49:1–11

1  gHear this, all peoples!

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2  hboth low and high,

rich and poor together!

3  My mouth shall speak iwisdom;

the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

4  I will incline my ear to ja proverb;

I will solve my kriddle to the music of the lyre.

5  lWhy should I fear in mtimes of trouble,

when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,

6  those who ntrust in their wealth

and boast of the abundance of their riches?

7  Truly no man ocan ransom another,

or pgive to God qthe price of his life,

8  for rthe ransom of their life is costly

and can never suffice,

9  that he should live on forever

and snever see the pit.

10  For he sees tthat even the wise die;

uthe fool and the stupid alike must perish

and vleave their wealth to others.

11  Their wgraves are their homes forever,1

their dwelling places xto all generations,

though they ycalled lands by their own names.