Psalm 49

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.