Psalm 49
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 49
The Folly of Trust in Riches
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
give ear, all inhabitants of the world,(A)
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.(B)
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.(C)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,(D)
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?(E)
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life;[a]
there is no price one can give to God for it.(F)
8 For the ransom of life is costly
and can never suffice,(G)
9 that one should live on forever
and never see the Pit.(H)
10 When we look at the wise, they die;
fool and dolt perish together
and leave their wealth to others.(I)
11 Their graves[b] are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.(J)
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.(K)
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
the end of those[c] who are pleased with their lot. Selah(L)
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,[d]
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.[e](M)
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah(N)
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich,
when the wealth of their houses increases.(O)
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away;
their wealth will not go down after them.(P)
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
—for you are praised when you do well for yourself—(Q)
19 they[f] will go to the company of their ancestors,
who will never again see the light.(R)
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.(S)
Psalm 49
Common English Bible
Psalm 49
For the music leader. A psalm of the Korahites.
49 Listen to this, all you people!
Listen closely, all you citizens of the world—
2 people of every kind,
rich and poor alike!
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation is full of insight.
4 I will pay close attention to a proverb;
I will explain my riddle on the lyre.
5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble,
when the wrongdoing of my bullies engulfs me—
6 those people who trust in their fortunes
and boast of their fantastic wealth?
7 Wealth? It can’t save a single person!
It can’t pay a life’s ransom-price to God.
8 The price to save someone’s life is too high—
wealth will never be enough—
9 no one can live forever
without experiencing the pit.
10 Everyone knows that the wise die too,
just like foolish and stupid people do,
all of them leaving their fortunes to others.
11 Their graves[a] are their eternal homes,
the place they live for all generations,
even if they had counties named after them!
12 People won’t live any longer because of wealth;
they’re just like the animals that pass away.
13 That’s how it goes for those who are foolish,
as well as for those who follow their lead, pleased with their talk.
Selah
14 Like sheep, they’re headed straight for the grave.[b]
Death will be their shepherd—
but those who do right in their hearts will rule over them come morning!—
their forms wasting away in the grave
rather than having some dignified residence.[c]
15 But God will save my life from the power of the grave,
because he will take me. Selah
16 Don’t be overly impressed when someone becomes rich,
their house swelling to fantastic proportions,
17 because when they die, they won’t take any of it with them.
Their fantastic things won’t accompany them down under.
18 Though they consider themselves blessed during their lives,
and even thank you when you deal well with them,[d]
19 they too will join the ancestors who’ve gone ahead;
they too will never see the light again.
20 Wealthy people? They just don’t understand;
they’re just like the animals
that pass away.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:11 Correction with LXX
- Psalm 49:14 Heb Sheol; also again in 49:7, 15
- Psalm 49:14 Heb uncertain in 49:13-14
- Psalm 49:18 LXX, Syr
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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