Psalm 49–50

Psalm 49

For the choir director; a psalm by Korah’s descendants. 

¹Listen to this, all you people. 

Open your ears, all who live in the world— 

²common people and important ones, 

rich people and poor ones. 

³My mouth will speak wise sayings, 

the insights I have carefully considered. 

⁴I will turn my attention to a proverb. 

I will explain my riddle with the ⸤music of⸥ a lyre. 

⁵Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, 

when slanderers surround me with evil? 

⁶They trust their riches 

and brag about their abundant wealth. 

⁷No one can ever buy back another person 

or pay God a ransom for his life. 

⁸The price to be paid for his soul is too costly. 

He must always give up 

⁹in order to live forever and never see the pit. 

¹⁰Indeed, one can see that wise people die, 

that foolish and stupid people meet the same end. 

They leave their riches to others. 

¹¹Although they named their lands after themselves, 

their graves^ahave become their homes for ages to come, 

their dwelling places throughout every generation. 

¹²But mortals will not continue here with what they treasure. 

They are like animals that die. 

¹³This is the final outcome for fools and their followers 

who are delighted by what they say: 

Selah 

¹⁴Like sheep, they are driven to hell 

with death as their shepherd. 

(Decent people will rule them in the morning.) 

Their forms will decay in the grave, 

far away from their comfortable homes. 

¹⁵But God will buy me back from the power of hell 

because he will take me. 

Selah 

¹⁶Do not be afraid when someone becomes rich, 

when the greatness of his house increases. 

¹⁷He will not take anything with him when he dies. 

His greatness cannot follow him. 

¹⁸Even though he blesses himself while he is alive 

(and they praise you when you do well for yourself), 

¹⁹he must join the generation of his ancestors, 

who will never see light ⸤again⸥. 

²⁰Mortals, with what they treasure, still don’t have understanding. 

They are like animals that die. 

Psalm 50

A psalm by Asaph. 

¹The Lord, the only true God, has spoken. 

He has summoned the earth 

from where the sun rises to where it sets. 

²God shines from Zion, 

the perfection of beauty. 

³Our God will come and will not remain silent. 

A devouring fire is in front of him 

and a raging storm around him. 

⁴He summons heaven and earth to judge his people: 

⁵“Gather around me, my godly people 

who have made a pledge to me through sacrifices.” 

⁶The heavens announce his righteousness 

because God is the judge. 

Selah 

⁷“Listen, my people, and I will speak. 

Listen, Israel, and I will testify against you: 

I am God, your God! 

⁸I am not criticizing you for your sacrifices or burnt offerings, 

which are always in front of me. 

⁹⸤But⸥ I will not accept ⸤another⸥ young bull from your household 

or a single male goat from your pens. 

¹⁰Every creature in the forest, 

⸤even⸥ the cattle on a thousand hills, is mine. 

¹¹I know every bird in the mountains. 

Everything that moves in the fields is mine. 

¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you, 

because the world and all that it contains are mine. 

¹³Do I eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 

¹⁴Bring ⸤your⸥ thanks to God as a sacrifice, 

and keep your vows to the Most High. 

¹⁵Call on me in times of trouble. 

I will rescue you, and you will honor me.” 

¹⁶But God says to wicked people, 

“How dare you quote my decrees 

and mouth my promises!^a

¹⁷You hate discipline. 

You toss my words behind you. 

¹⁸When you see a thief, you want to make friends with him. 

You keep company with people who commit adultery. 

¹⁹You let your mouth say anything evil. 

Your tongue plans deceit. 

²⁰You sit and talk against your own brother. 

You slander your own mother’s son. 

²¹When you did these things, I remained silent. 

⸤That⸥ made you think I was like you. 

I will argue my point with you 

and lay it all out for you to see. 

²²Consider this, you people who forget God. 

Otherwise, I will tear you to pieces, 

and there will be no one left to rescue you. 

²³Whoever offers thanks as a sacrifice honors me. 

I will let everyone who continues in my way 

see the salvation that comes from God.”