Psalm 49–50

PSALM 49

Why Should I Fear in Days of Evil?

For the choir director. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.

^1aHear this, all peoples;

Give ear, all ^binhabitants of the world,

²Both ^1alow and ²high,

Rich and poor together.

³My mouth will ^aspeak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be ^bdiscernment.

⁴I will incline my ear to ^aa proverb;

^bI will ¹express my ^criddle on the harp.

⁵Why should I ^afear in days of evil,

When the iniquity of my ¹supplanters surrounds me,

⁶Even those who ^atrust in their wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches?

⁷Truly, no man can ^aredeem his brother;

He cannot give to God a ^bransom for him—

⁸For ^athe redemption price for their soul is costly,

And it ceases forever—

⁹That he should ^alive on eternally,

That he should not ^bsee ¹corruption.

¹⁰For he sees that even ^awise men die;

The ^1bfool and the senseless alike perish

And ^cleave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their ^1ainner thought is that their houses ^bare forever

And their dwelling places ²from generation to generation;

They have ^ccalled their lands after their own names.

¹²But ^aman in his honor will not endure;

He is like the animals that ¹perish.

¹³This is the ^away of those who are foolish,

And of those after them who ^bare pleased ¹with their words. ²Selah.

¹⁴As sheep they are appointed ^afor Sheol;

Death will shepherd them;

And the ^bupright shall have dominion over them in the morning,

And their form shall be for Sheol ^cto consume,

Far away from his habitation.

¹⁵But God will ^aredeem my soul from the ¹power of Sheol,

For ^bHe will receive me. Selah.

¹⁶Do not be afraid ^awhen a man becomes rich,

When the ¹glory of his house increases;

¹⁷For when he dies he will not ^atake any of it;

His ¹glory will not descend after him.

¹⁸For while he lives he ^ablesses his soul—

And men will praise you when you do well for yourself—

¹⁹But his soul shall ^ago to the generation of his fathers;

They will eternally not see ^blight.

^20aMan in his honor, but who does not understand,

Is ^blike the animals that ¹perish.

PSALM 50

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of ^†Asaph.

^1aThe Mighty One, God, Yahweh, has spoken,

And called the earth ^bfrom the rising of the sun to its setting.

²Out of Zion, ^athe perfection of beauty,

God ^bhas shone forth.

³May our God ^acome and not be silent;

^bFire devours before Him,

And ^ca storm whirls around Him.

⁴He ^acalls the heavens above,

And the earth, to render justice to His people:

⁵“Gather My ^aholy ones to Me,

Those who have cut a ^bcovenant with Me by ^csacrifice.”

⁶And the ^aheavens declare His righteousness,

For ^bGod Himself is judge. ¹Selah.

⁷“^aHear, O My people, and I will speak;

O Israel, I will testify ¹against you;

I am God, ^byour God.

⁸“I do ^anot reprove you for your sacrifices,

And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.

⁹“I shall take no ^ayoung bull out of your house

Nor male goats out of your folds.

¹⁰“For ^aevery beast of the forest is Mine,

The cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹“I know every ^abird of the mountains,

And everything that moves in the field is ¹Mine.

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

For the ^aworld is Mine, as well as its fullness.

¹³“Shall I eat the flesh of ^1abulls

Or drink the blood of male goats?

¹⁴“Offer to God ^aa sacrifice of thanksgiving

And ^bpay your vows to the Most High;

^15aCall upon Me in the day of distress;

I shall ^brescue you, and you will ^cglorify Me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked God says,

“What right have you to recount My statutes

And to take ^aMy covenant in your mouth?

¹⁷“For you ^ahate discipline,

And you ^bcast My words behind you.

¹⁸“When you see a thief, you ^1aare pleased with him,

And ²you ^bassociate with adulterers.

¹⁹“You ^1alet your mouth loose in evil

And you harness your ^btongue for deceit.

²⁰“You sit and ^aspeak against your brother;

You slander your own mother’s son.

²¹“These things you have done and ^aI kept silent;

You thought that I was just like you;

I will ^breprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.

²²“Now consider this, you who ^aforget God,

Lest I ^btear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.

²³“He who ^aoffers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies Me;

And he who ^1borders his way,

I shall ^cshow the salvation of God.”