Al director musical. Salmo de los hijos de Coré.

49 Oigan esto, pueblos todos;
    escuchen, habitantes todos del mundo,
tanto débiles como poderosos,
    lo mismo los ricos que los pobres.
Mi boca hablará con sabiduría;
    la reflexión de mi corazón será muy inteligente.
Inclinaré mi oído al proverbio;
    propondré mi enigma al son del arpa:

¿Por qué he de temer en tiempos de desgracia
    cuando me rodee la maldad de mis opresores?
¿Temeré a los que confían en sus riquezas
    y se jactan de sus muchas posesiones?
Nadie puede salvar a nadie
    ni pagarle a Dios rescate por la vida.
Tal rescate es muy costoso;
    ningún pago es suficiente
para vivir por siempre
    sin ver la fosa.
10 Nadie puede negar que todos mueren,
    que sabios e insensatos perecen por igual
    y que sus riquezas se dejan a otros.
11 Aunque tuvieron tierras a su nombre,
    sus tumbas serán[a] su hogar eterno,
    su morada por todas las generaciones.

12 La gente rica no perdura;
    al igual que las bestias, perece.

13 Tal es el destino de los que confían en sí mismos;
    y el de sus seguidores que aprueban lo que ellos dicen. Selah
14 Como ovejas guiadas por la muerte,
    están destinados al sepulcro.[b]
Sus cuerpos se consumirán allí,
    lejos de sus mansiones suntuosas.
    Por la mañana los justos prevalecerán sobre ellos.
15 Pero Dios me rescatará de las garras de la muerte[c]
    y con él me llevará. Selah
16 No te asombre ver que alguien se enriquezca
    y aumente el esplendor de su casa,
17 porque al morir no se llevará nada
    ni con él descenderá su esplendor.
18 Aunque en vida se considere dichoso,
    y la gente lo elogie por sus logros,
19 irá a reunirse con sus ancestros,
    sin que vuelva jamás a ver la luz.

20 La gente rica carece de entendimiento;
    al igual que las bestias, perece.

Footnotes

  1. 49:11 sus tumbas serán (LXX y Siríaca); su interior será (TM).
  2. 49:14 al sepulcro. Lit. al Seol.
  3. 49:15 de la muerte. Lit. del Seol.

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.

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