PsaΨαλμ PsalmsΨαλμοί, psalmψαλμός Book of PsalmsΨαλτήριον, psalmψαλμός 49

Psalm 49

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Hear this, all peoples;

Listen, all inhabitants of the world,

Both low and high,

Rich and poor together.

My mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will (a)49:4 Lit open upexpress my riddle on the harp.Psa 78:2; Mat 13:35

¶Why should I fear in days of adversity,

When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,

Those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches?Job 36:18; Psa 52:7; Pro 11:4

No one can by any means redeem another

Or give God a ransom for him—1Jn 3:16

For the redemption of (b)49:8 Lit theirhis soul is priceless,

And he should cease imagining forever—Mat 16:26; Mrk 8:37; 1Pe 1:19

That he might live on eternally,

That he might not (c)49:9 Or see corruption; lit see the pitundergo decay.

¶For he sees that even wise people die;

The foolish and the stupid alike perish

And leave their wealth to others.Pro 11:4; Ecc 2:16; Ecc 6:2

Their (d)49:11 Some ancient versions graves are their housesinner thought is that their houses are forever

And their dwelling places to all generations;

They have named their lands after their own names.

But man in his splendor will not endure;

He is like the animals that (e)49:12 Lit are destroyedperish.Ecc 3:19

¶This is the way of those who are foolish,

And of those after them who approve their words. Selah

Like sheep they sink down to (f)49:14 I.e., the netherworldSheol;

Death will be their shepherd;

And the upright will rule over them in the morning,

And their form shall be for (g)49:14 I.e., the netherworldSheol to consume

(h)49:14 Lit Away from his habitationSo that they have no lofty home.Isa 14:11; Rev 2:27

But God will redeem my soul from the (i)49:15 Lit handpower of (j)49:15 I.e., the netherworldSheol,

For He will receive me. SelahPsa 16:10

¶Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich,

When the splendor of his house is increased;

For when he dies, he will take nothing with him;

His (k)49:17 Lit glorywealth will not descend after him.Job 27:18

Though while he lives he congratulates (l)49:18 Lit his soulhimself—

And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—Deu 29:19

(m)49:19 Lit You; or ItHe will go to the generation of his fathers;

They will never see the light.

Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,

Is like the animals that (n)49:20 Lit are destroyedperish.Ecc 3:19; Luk 12:20