Psalms 49
49
Wealth and the Fate of the Wicked
For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm.#The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
1Hear this, all you peoples;
give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,
2both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3My mouth will speak wisdom,
and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will propound#Literally “open” my riddle on a lyre.
5Why should I fear in times of calamity,#Literally “the days of evil”
when iniquity surrounds me at my heels,
6those who trust their wealth
and boast about the abundance of their riches?
7Surely a man cannot redeem a brother.
He cannot give to God his ransom
8(since#Hebrew “and” the redemption price for their life is costly
and it always fails),
9so that he may stay alive forever
and not see the pit.
10For he sees that the wise die,
together with the fool and brute they perish,
and leave their wealth to the next generation.
11Within them they think their houses are forever,
their dwelling places from generation to generation.
They name#Literally “call” their lands by their own names.
12But man cannot continue in his pomp.
He is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the journey#Hebrew “way” of those who have foolish confidence,
and those after them who accept their sayings. Selah
14Like sheep they are destined to Sheol;
death will shepherd them.
But the upright will rule over them in the morning,
and their forms will be for Sheol to consume,
far from his lofty abode.
15Surely God will ransom my life
from the power#Literally “hand” of Sheol,
because he will receive me. Selah
16Do not fear when a man becomes rich,
when the wealth#Or “honor” of his house increases,
17because when he dies he will not take away any of it.
His wealth will not follow down after him.
18Though he congratulated his soul while he was living
—and people will praise you when you do well for yourself—
19it#That is, his soul will go to the generation of his fathers.
Never will they see light.
20Humankind in its pomp, but does not understand,
is like the beasts that perish.
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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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