Psalm 49

Psalm 49

Misplaced Trust in Wealth

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

¹Hear this, all you peoples;

listen, all who inhabit the world, ^z

²both low and high, ^a

rich and poor together. ^b

³My mouth speaks wisdom;

my heart’s meditation brings understanding. ^c

⁴I turn my ear to a proverb;

I explain my riddle with a lyre. ^d

⁵Why should I fear in times of trouble?

The iniquity of my foes surrounds me. ^e

⁶They trust in their wealth

and boast of their abundant riches. ^f

⁷Yet these cannot redeem a person ^g

or pay his ransom to God ^h—

⁸since the price of redeeming him is too costly,

one should forever stop trying ^ij—

⁹so that he may live forever

and not see the Pit. ^k

¹⁰For one can see that wise men die;

foolish and stupid men also pass away. ^l

Then they leave their wealth to others. ^m

¹¹Their graves are their eternal homes, ⁿ

their homes from generation to generation,

though they have named estates after themselves. ^o

¹²But despite his assets, ^pman will not last;

he is like the animals that perish. ^q

¹³This is the way of those who are arrogant,

and of their followers,

who approve of their words. ^rsSelah

¹⁴Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;

Death will shepherd them.

The upright will rule over them in the morning, ^t

and their form will waste away in Sheol, ^u

far from their lofty abode. ^v

¹⁵But God will redeem my life

from the power of Sheol,

for He will take me. ^wSelah

¹⁶Do not be afraid when a man gets rich,

when the wealth ^xof his house increases. ^y

¹⁷For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;

his wealth ^zwill not follow him down. ^a

¹⁸Though he praises himself during his lifetime—

and people praise you when you do well for yourself ^b—

¹⁹he will go to the generation of his fathers;

they will never see the light. ^c

²⁰A man with valuable possessions ^d

but without understanding

is like the animals that perish. ^e