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.

49 (0) For the leader. A psalm of the descendants of Korach:

(1) Hear this, all you peoples!
Listen, everyone living on earth,
(2) regardless of whether low or high,
regardless of whether rich or poor!
(3) My mouth is about to speak wisdom;
my heart’s deepest thoughts will give understanding.
(4) I will listen with care to [God’s] parable,
I will set my enigma to the music of the lyre.

(5) Why should I fear when the days bring trouble,
when the evil of my pursuers surrounds me,
(6) the evil of those who rely on their wealth
and boast how rich they are?
(7) No one can ever redeem his brother
or give God a ransom for him ,
(8) because the price for him is too high
(leave the idea completely alone!)
10 (9) to have him live on eternally
and never see the pit.
11 (10) For he can see that wise men will die,
likewise the fool and the brute will perish
and leave their wealth to others.
12 (11) They think their homes will last forever,
their dwellings through all generations;
they give their own names to their estates.
13 (12) But people, even rich ones, will live only briefly;
then, like animals, they will die.
14 (13) This is the manner of life of the foolish
and those who come after, approving their words. (Selah)
15 (14) Like sheep, they are destined for Sh’ol;
death will be their shepherd.
The upright will rule them in the morning;
and their forms will waste away in Sh’ol,
until they need no dwelling.
16 (15) But God will redeem me from Sh’ol’s control,
because he will receive me. (Selah)

17 (16) Don’t be afraid when someone gets rich,
when the wealth of his family grows.
18 (17) For when he dies, he won’t take it with him;
his wealth will not go down after him.
19 (18) True, while he lived, he thought himself happy —
people praise you when you do well for yourself —
20 (19) but he will join his ancestors’ generations
and never again see light.
21 (20) People, even rich ones, can fail to grasp
that, like animals, they will die.

Walay Pulos ang Pagsalig sa Bahandi

49 Pamati kamo, tanang mga katawhan nga nagapuyo dinhi sa kalibotan,
dungganon o dili, adunahan man o kabos.
Nagasulti ako nga may kaalam ug mapuslanon ang akong gihunahuna.
Mamati ako sa mga panultihon ug isaysay ko ang ilang kahulogan samtang nagatukar ako sa harpa.

Dili ako mahadlok kon moabot ang katalagman,
kon libotan ako sa daotan ug limbongang mga tawo
nga nagasalig ug nagapasigarbo sa ilang bahandi.
Ang usa ka tawo dili gayod makahimo sa pagbayad sa Dios aron nga magpabilin siyang buhi o alang sa kinabuhi sa uban.
Tungod kay labihan kamahal sa kinabuhi;
wala gayoy kantidad nga mahimong ibayad
aron mabuhi ang usa ka tawo hangtod sa kahangtoran ug dili mamatay.
10 Kay makita sa tanan nga bisan ang mga maalamon mangamatay, mao man usab ang mga buang-buang ug ang mga hungog.
Ug ibilin nila ang ilang bahandi ngadto sa uban.
11 Ang ilang lubnganan[a] mao na ang ilang puloy-anan
ug magpabilin sila didto hangtod sa kahangtoran bisan pag may gipanag-iya silang mga yuta.
12 Bisan pag adunahan ang tawo mamatay ra gihapon siya sama sa mga mananap.
13 Mao kini ang dangatan sa mga tawo nga nagasalig sa ilang kaugalingon,
ug mao usab kini ang dangatan sa mga tawong nagauyon sa ilang gisulti.
14 Gitakda na silang mamatay daw sa mga karnero.
Ang kamatayon sama sa mga magbalantay sa karnero nga mogiya kanila ngadto sa lubnganan.[b]
(Sa adlaw sa kaluwasan, gamhan sila sa mga matarong.)
Ang ilang mga patayng lawas mangadunot,
ug ang lubnganan maoy ilang puloy-anan.[c]
15 Apan luwason ako sa Dios; haw-ason niya ako gikan sa gahom sa kamatayon.

16 Ayaw kasina kon ang uban maadunahan,
o kon ang bahandi sa ilang pamilya madugangan.
17 Kay dili nila kana madala kon mamatay sila;
ang ilang bahandi dili nila madala sa lubnganan.
18 Bisan pag-giisip nila ang ilang kaugalingon nga bulahan sa buhi pa sila,
ug dayegon sila sa mga tawo tungod kay nagmauswagon sila,
19 motipon ra gihapon sila sa ilang mga katigulangan nga nangamatay na,
didto sa dapit nga dili na gayod nila makita ang kahayag.
20 Ang tawong adunahan nga walay pagsabot sa kamatuoran mamatay sama sa mga mananap.

Footnotes

  1. 49:11 lubnganan: Mao kini sa Septuagint ug sa Syriac; apan sa Hebreo, hunahuna.
  2. 49:14 lubnganan: o, Sheol.
  3. 49:14 ang lubnganan… puloy-anan: o, sa lubnganan nga layo sa ilang puloy-anan.

The Confidence of the Foolish

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my [a]dark saying on the harp.

Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
Those who (A)trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor (B)give to God a ransom for him—
For (C)the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
That he should continue to live eternally,
And (D)not [b]see the Pit.

10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 [c]Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They (E)call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not [d]remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the way of those who are (F)foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
(G)The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
(H)And their beauty shall be consumed in [e]the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God (I)will redeem my soul from the power of [f]the grave,
For He shall (J)receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives (K)he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see (L)light.[g]
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
(M)Is like the beasts that perish.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 49:4 riddle
  2. Psalm 49:9 experience corruption
  3. Psalm 49:11 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Their graves shall be their houses forever
  4. Psalm 49:12 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. understand (cf. v. 20)
  5. Psalm 49:14 Or Sheol
  6. Psalm 49:15 Or Sheol
  7. Psalm 49:19 The light of life