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Psalm 49^a

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

Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,

1

The Confidence of the Foolish

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2

both low and high,
rich and poor alike:

2

Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.

3

My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

3

My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.

4

I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

4

I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my [a]dark saying on the harp.

5

Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me —

5

Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6

those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

6

Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,

7

No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them —

7

None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him —

8

the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough —

8

For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever —

9

so that they should live on forever
and not see decay.

9

That he should continue to live eternally,
And not [b]see the Pit.

10

For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.

10

For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.

11

Their tombs will remain their housesb forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they hadc named lands after themselves.

11

[c]Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.

12

People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.

12

Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not [d]remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

13

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.d

13

This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah

14

They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

14

Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in [e]the grave, far from their dwelling.

15

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
he will surely take me to himself.

15

But God will redeem my soul from the power of [f]the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

16

Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;

16

Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;

17

for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.

17

For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.

18

Though while they live they count themselves blessed —
and people praise you when you prosper —

18

Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

19

they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.

19

He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.[g]

20

People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.

20

A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.

Parallel

New International Version

New King James Version

Psalms 49

Psalms 49