Psalm 49

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

1Hear this, all you peoples;

listen, all who live in this world,

2both low and high,

rich and poor alike:

3My mouth will speak words of wisdom;

the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

4I will turn my ear to a proverb;

with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5Why should I fear when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me—

6those who trust in their wealth

and boast of their great riches?

7No man can redeem the life of another

or give to God a ransom for him—

8the ransom for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough—

9that he should live on forever

and not see decay.

10For all can see that wise men die;

the foolish and the senseless alike perish

and leave their wealth to others.

11Their tombs will remain their houses^a forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,

though they had^b named lands after themselves.

12But man, despite his riches, does not endure;

he is^c like the beasts that perish.

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

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.       Selah

14Like sheep they are destined for the grave,^d

and death will feed on them.

The upright will rule over them in the morning;

their forms will decay in the grave,^e

far from their princely mansions.

15But God will redeem my life^f from the grave;

he will surely take me to himself.       Selah

16Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases;

17for he will take nothing with him when he dies,

his splendor will not descend with him.

18Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—

and men praise you when you prosper—

19he will join the generation of his fathers,

who will never see the light [of life].

20A man who has riches without understanding

is like the beasts that perish.