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富貴榮華不足倚靠

可拉子孫的詩,交給詩班長。

49 萬民哪!你們要聽這話;

世上的居民哪!你們要留心聽。

不論地位高低,或貧或富,

都要一同留心聽。

我的口要說出智慧的話;

我的心要默想明智的事。

我要留心聆聽箴言;

我要彈琴解開謎語。

在患難的日子,暗中迫害我的惡人圍繞我的時候,

我何須懼怕呢?

他們倚靠財富,

自誇多財。

但他們沒有一個能把他的兄弟贖回,

或把他的贖價交給 神,

(因為他生命的贖價非常昂貴,只好永遠放棄,)

使他永遠活著,

不見朽壞。

10 他看見智慧人死去,

愚昧人和愚頑人一同滅亡,

把他們的財產留給別人。

11 他們心裡想,他們的家必永存,

他們的住處必留到萬代;

他們以自己的名,稱自己的地方。

12 但是人不能長享富貴;

他們就像要滅亡的牲畜一樣。

13 這就是愚昧人的道路;

但在他們以後的人,還欣賞他們的話。(細拉)

14 他們好像羊群被派定下陰間;

死亡必作他們的牧人。

到了早晨,正直人要管轄他們;

他們的形體必被陰間消滅,

他們再沒有住處。

15 但 神必救贖我的靈魂脫離陰間的權勢,

因為他必把我接去。(細拉)

16 別人發財,家室增榮的時候,

你不要懼怕。

17 因為他死的時候,甚麼也不能帶走;

他的榮華也不能隨他下去。

18 他在世的時候,雖然自稱是有福的,並且說:

“只要你豐足,人就稱讚你。”

19 他還要歸到他歷代的祖宗那裡去,

永不再見光明。

20 人享富貴而不聰明,

就像要滅亡的牲畜一樣。

財富的虛幻

可拉後裔的詩,交給樂長。

49 萬民啊,你們要聽!
世人啊,
不論貴賤貧富,都要留心聽!
因為我口出智慧,心思明智。
我要側耳聽箴言,
彈琴解釋人生之謎。

危難來臨,四面被奸詐之徒包圍時,我何必懼怕?
他們倚靠金錢、誇耀財富,
卻不能救贖自己的生命,
也無法向上帝付生命的贖價。
因為生命的贖價高昂,
無人付得起,
以致可以永遠活著,不進墳墓。
10 眾所周知,即使智者也要死去,
愚人和庸者也要滅亡,
將他們的財富留給別人。
11 儘管他們用自己的名字來為產業命名,
墳墓卻是他們永遠的歸宿,
世代的住處。
12 人不能長享富貴,
終必死去,與獸無異。
13 這就是愚昧人及其追隨者的下場!(細拉)
14 他們註定要死,與羊無異,
死亡是他們的牧者;
到了早晨,
他們必被正直人管轄,
他們的軀體必朽爛在墳墓裡,
遠離自己的豪宅。
15 但上帝必救贖我的生命脫離死亡的權勢,
接我到祂身邊。(細拉)

16 因此,見他人財富增多,
日益奢華,
不要害怕。
17 因為他們死後什麼也帶不走,
再不能擁有榮華富貴。
18 他們活著時自以為有福,
人們都讚揚他們的成就,
19 到頭來他們還是要歸到祖先那裡,
再也看不見光明。
20 人有財富,卻無明智的心,
無異於必死的獸類。

Misplaced Trust in Wealth

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,(A)
both low and high,
rich and poor together.(B)
My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.(C)
I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.(D)

Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.(E)
They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.(F)
Yet these cannot redeem a person[a]
or pay his ransom to God(G)
since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should for ever stop trying[b](H)
so that he may live for ever
and not see the Pit.(I)

10 For one can see that the wise die;
the foolish and stupid also pass away.(J)
Then they leave their wealth to others.(K)
11 Their graves are their permanent homes,[c]
their dwellings from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.(L)
12 But despite his assets,[d] mankind will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.(M)

13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.[e](N) Selah
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,(O)
and their form will waste away in Sheol,[f]
far from their lofty abode.(P)
15 But God will redeem me
from the power of Sheol,
for he will take me.(Q) Selah

16 Do not be afraid when a person gets rich,
when the wealth[g] of his house increases.(R)
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth will not follow him down.(S)
18 Though he blesses himself during his lifetime –
and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself(T)
19 he will go to the generation of his ancestors;
they will never see the light.(U)
20 Mankind, with his assets
but without understanding,
is like the animals that perish.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 49:7 Or Certainly he cannot redeem himself, or Yet he cannot redeem a brother
  2. 49:8 Or costly, it will cease for ever
  3. 49:11 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads Their inner thought is that their houses are eternal
  4. 49:12 Or honour
  5. 49:13 Lit and after them with their mouth they were pleased
  6. 49:14 Hb obscure
  7. 49:16 Or glory, also in v. 17

Psalm 49[a]

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

Hear(A) this, all you peoples;(B)
    listen, all who live in this world,(C)
both low and high,(D)
    rich and poor alike:
My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(E)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(F)
I will turn my ear to a proverb;(G)
    with the harp(H) I will expound my riddle:(I)

Why should I fear(J) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth(K)
    and boast(L) of their great riches?(M)
No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
the ransom(N) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—(O)
so that they should live on(P) forever
    and not see decay.(Q)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(R)
    that the foolish and the senseless(S) also perish,
    leaving their wealth(T) to others.(U)
11 Their tombs(V) will remain their houses[b] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,(W)
    though they had[c] named(X) lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;(Y)
    they are like the beasts that perish.(Z)

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(AA)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(AB) to die;(AC)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(AE)
    he will surely take me to himself.(AF)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(AG) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.(AH)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(AI)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(AJ)
    who will never again see the light(AK) of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding(AL)
    are like the beasts that perish.(AM)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
  2. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
  3. Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
  4. Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.