¹¹ The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;
    they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
    the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

¹² Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
    but only wisdom can save your life.

¹⁰ Don’t make your living by extortion
    or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
    don’t make it the center of your life.

¹¹ God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;

⁵ But God will strike you down once and for all.
    He will pull you from your home
    and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude

⁶ The righteous will see it and be amazed.
    They will laugh and say,
⁷ “Look what happens to mighty warriors
    who do not trust in God.
They trust their wealth instead
    and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

⁶ They trust in their wealth
    and boast of great riches.
⁷ Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death^[a]
    by paying a ransom to God.
⁸ Redemption does not come so easily,
    for no one can ever pay enough
⁹ to live forever
    and never see the grave.

²⁴ “Have I put my trust in money
    or felt secure because of my gold?
²⁵ Have I gloated about my wealth
    and all that I own?

³¹ But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock,
    as even they recognize.^[a]

⁴ Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
    but right living can save you from death.