To the chief musician, a psalm for the sons of Korah
49
📚✭Hear this, all you people.
Give ear, all you inhabitants
of the world,
2 📚Both low and high, rich and poor,
together.
3 📚My mouth will speak of wisdom,
and the meditation of my heart
will bring
understanding.
4 📚I will turn my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my riddle on the harp.
5 📚✭Why should I fear in the days
of evil,
when the wickedness
at my heels surrounds me?
6 📚Those who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the greatness
of their riches,
7 📚✭none of them can
by any means redeem his brother,
or give to God a ransom for him
8 📚(for the redemption of their souls
is costly,
and is left undone by them
forever)
9 📚that he should live on forever,
and not see the grave.
10 📚For he sees that
wise men die;
likewise the fool and the senseless
person perish,
and leave their wealth to others.
11 📚✭Their inward thought is that
their houses will continue
forever,
and their dwelling places
to all generations.
They call their lands
after their own names.
12 📚Nevertheless, man,
even though in honour,
does not remain.
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 📚This is the way of their folly,
and their posterity approve of
their sayings. Selah
14 📚Like sheep they are laid in the grave✭.
Death will feed on them✭,
and the upright will rule over
them in the morning;
and their beauty will be consumed
in the grave,
far from their home.
15 📚✭But God will redeem my soul
from the power of the grave;
for he will receive me. Selah
16 📚✭Do not be afraid when someone
is made rich,
when the glory of his house
is increased,
17 📚For when he dies he will carry
nothing away.
His glory will not descend after him.
18 📚Though while he lived he blessed
his soul (and men will
praise you,
when you do well for yourself),
19 📚✭He will go to the generation
of his fathers.
They will never see light.
20 📚Man who has
honour,
and does not understand,
is like the beasts that perish.