Psalm 49 - Modern English Version

For the Music Director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

¹ Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

² both low and high, rich and poor together.

³ My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

⁴ I will incline my ear to a parable; I will reveal my riddle with the music of the harp.

⁵ Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

⁶ those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches?

⁷ None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him,

⁸ for the redemption of their souls is costly; and it shall cease forever,

⁹ that he should live on eternally, and never see the pit.

¹⁰ For he sees that wise men die; the fool and the stupid perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹ Their graves are their perpetual homes, their dwelling places to all generations, though they call their lands by their own names.

¹² Nevertheless man cannot remain in his splendor; 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

¹⁴ Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; the upright shall rule over them in the morning; their form shall waste away in Sheol, far from their dwelling.

¹⁵ But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me.    Selah

¹⁶ Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased,

¹⁷ for when he dies he will take nothing away; his glory will not descend after him.

¹⁸ Though while he lives he blesses himself — for men will praise you when you do well for yourself—

¹⁹ he will go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see light.

²⁰ A man who is in his splendor, yet without understanding, is like the animals that perish.