Psalms - Chapter 49 | New International Version

  • 1. {For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.} Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,
  • 2. both low and high, rich and poor alike:
  • 3. My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
  • 4. I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
  • 5. Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me--
  • 6. those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
  • 7. No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him--
  • 8. the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough--
  • 9. that he should live on forever and not see decay.
  • 10. For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
  • 11. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
  • 12. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; 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. Selah
  • 14. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
  • 15. But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah
  • 16. Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases;
  • 17. for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.
  • 18. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed-- and men praise you when you prosper--
  • 19. he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life.
  • 20. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
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