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.”

⁷ But no, the people are like crafty merchants
    selling from dishonest scales—
    they love to cheat.
⁸ Israel boasts, “I am rich!
    I’ve made a fortune all by myself!
No one has caught me cheating!
    My record is spotless!”

¹⁸ Truly, you put them on a slippery path
    and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
¹⁹ In an instant they are destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors.
²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

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.

¹⁰ Those who are wise must finally die,
    just like the foolish and senseless,
    leaving all their wealth behind.
¹¹ The grave^[b] is their eternal home,
    where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
¹²     but their fame will not last.
    They will die, just like animals.
¹³ This is the fate of fools,
    though they are remembered as being wise.^[c] Interlude

¹⁴ Like sheep, they are led to the grave,^[d]
    where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
    Their bodies will rot in the grave,
    far from their grand estates.
¹⁵ But as for me, God will redeem my life.
    He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude

¹⁶ So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
    and their homes become ever more splendid.
¹⁷ For when they die, they take nothing with them.
    Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
¹⁸ In this life they consider themselves fortunate
    and are applauded for their success.
¹⁹ But they will die like all before them
    and never again see the light of day.
²⁰ People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
    they will die, just like animals.

¹⁶ Everyone there will stare at you and ask,
‘Can this be the one who shook the earth
    and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?
¹⁷ Is this the one who destroyed the world
    and made it into a wasteland?
Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities
    and had no mercy on his prisoners?’