New King James Version

English Standard Version

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,

1

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. 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 together.

2

both low and high,
rich and poor together!

3

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

3

My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

4

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

4

I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

5

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

5

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,

6

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

6

those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?

7

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

7

Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,

8

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

8

for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,

9

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

9

that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

10

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

10

For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.

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.

11

Their graves are their homes forever,a
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.

12

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

12

Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.

13

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

13

This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.b Selah

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.

14

Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

15

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

15

But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah

16

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

16

Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.

17

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

17

For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.

18

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

18

For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
— and though you get praise when you do well for yourself —

19

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

19

his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.

20

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

20

Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Psalms 49

Psalms 49