Psalm 49

Psalm 49^a

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹Hear^r this, all you peoples;^s

listen, all who live in this world,^t

²both low and high,^u

rich and poor alike:

³My mouth will speak words of wisdom;^v

the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.^w

⁴I will turn my ear to a proverb;^x

with the harp^y I will expound my riddle:^z

⁵Why should I fear^a when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me—

⁶those who trust in their wealth^b

and boast^c of their great riches?^d

⁷No one can redeem the life of another

or give to God a ransom for them—

⁸the ransom^e for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough—^f

⁹so that they should live on^g forever

and not see decay.^h

¹⁰For all can see that the wise die,ⁱ

that the foolish and the senseless^j also perish,

leaving their wealth^k to others.^l

¹¹Their tombs^m will remain their houses^b forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,ⁿ

though they had^c named^o lands after themselves.

¹²People, despite their wealth, do not endure;^p

they are like the beasts that perish.^q

¹³This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,^r

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.^d

¹⁴They are like sheep and are destined^s to die;^t

death will be their shepherd

(but the upright will prevail^u over them in the morning).

Their forms will decay in the grave,

far from their princely mansions.

¹⁵But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;^v

he will surely take me to himself.^w

¹⁶Do not be overawed when others grow rich,

when the splendor of their houses increases;

¹⁷for they will take nothing^x with them when they die,

their splendor will not descend with them.^y

¹⁸Though while they live they count themselves blessed—^z

and people praise you when you prosper—

¹⁹they will join those who have gone before them,^a

who will never again see the light^b of life.

²⁰People who have wealth but lack understanding^c

are like the beasts that perish.^d