Psalm 49
49
Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of #Ps. 42, titlethe Sons of Korah.
1 #
Ps. 78:1; Isa. 1:2; Mic. 1:2 Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 #
Ps. 62:9
both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3My mouth shall speak #Prov. 1:20; 9:1wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4I will incline my ear to #[Ps. 78:2; Matt. 13:35] a proverb;
I will solve my #Num. 12:8; Prov. 1:6riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 # [Ps. 37:1] Why should I fear in #Ps. 94:13times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6those who #Ps. 52:7; Prov. 11:28; Mark 10:24, 25; [Job 31:24]trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7Truly no man #[Matt. 25:9] can ransom another,
or #[Matt. 16:26] give to God #See Job 33:24the price of his life,
8for #Job 36:18, 19the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9that he should live on forever
and #Ps. 16:10; [Ps. 89:48]never see the pit.
10For he sees #Eccles. 2:16 that even the wise die;
#
Ps. 73:22; 92:6; 94:8; Prov. 30:2 the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and #See Ps. 39:6leave their wealth to others.
11Their #Ps. 5:9; 64:6 graves are their homes forever,#49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
their dwelling places #Ps. 10:6 to all generations,
though they #[Gen. 4:17]called lands by their own names.
12Man in his pomp #ver. 20; [Ps. 39:5; 82:7] will not remain;
# ver. 20; Eccles. 3:19 he is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the path of those who have #[Luke 12:20]foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.#49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts Selah
14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright #[Dan. 7:22; Mal. 4:3; Luke 22:30; 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 2:26; 20:4] shall rule over them in the morning.
#
Ps. 39:11 Their form shall be consumed #Job 24:19, 20in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15But God will #Hos. 13:14; [Dan. 12:2] ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will #Ps. 16:11; 17:15; 73:24; [Gen. 5:24]receive me. Selah
16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 # [Job 27:19] For when he dies he will #1 Tim. 6:7carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18For though, while he lives, he counts himself #Ps. 10:3; 36:2; Deut. 29:19; Luke 12:19blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19his soul will #Gen. 15:15 go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again #Ps. 56:13; Job 33:30see light.
20 # ver. 12 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
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Psalms 49
49
Psalm 49
Misplaced Trust in Wealth
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,#Ps 78:1; Mc 1:2
2both low and high,
rich and poor together.#Ps 62:9
3My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.#Ps 37:30
4I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.#Nm 12:8; Mt 13:35
5Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.#Ps 23:4; 27:1
6They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.#Jb 31:24; Ps 52:7; Pr 11:28
7Yet these cannot redeem a person#49:7 Or Certainly he cannot redeem himself, or Yet he cannot redeem a brother
or pay his ransom to God#Jb 36:18–19; Mt 25:8–9 —
8since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying#49:8 Or costly, it will cease forever#Mt 16:26 —
9so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.#Jb 33:28; Ps 16:10
10For one can see that the wise die;
the foolish and stupid also pass away.#Ec 2:16
Then they leave their wealth to others.#Ps 39:6; Ec 2:18–19; Lk 12:20
11Their graves are their permanent homes,#49:11 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads Their inner thought is that their houses are eternal
their dwellings from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.#Ps 5:9; 10:6
12But despite his assets,#49:12 Or honor mankind will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.#Ec 3:19
13This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.#49:13 Lit and after them with their mouth they were pleased#Ps 31:23; Pr 16:18; 21:24Selah
14Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,#Rv 2:26
and their form will waste away in Sheol,#49:14 Hb obscure
far from their lofty abode.#Jb 24:19; Ps 9:17
15But God will redeem me
from the power of Sheol,
for he will take me.#Ps 16:10; 56:13; Hs 13:14Selah
16Do not be afraid when a person gets rich,
when the wealth#49:16 Or glory, also in v. 17 of his house increases.#Ps 37:7
17For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth will not follow him down.#Jb 27:19; Ps 17:14; 1Tm 6:7
18Though he blesses himself during his lifetime —
and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself#Dt 29:19; Ps 10:3,6 —
19he will go to the generation of his ancestors;
they will never see the light.#Gn 15:15; Jb 33:30; Ps 56:13
20Mankind, with his assets
but without understanding,
is like the animals that perish.#Ec 3:19
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