Psalm 49:1-12

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!
³My mouth speaks wisdom;
    my heart’s meditation is full of insight.
⁴I will pay close attention to a proverb;
    I will explain my riddle on the lyre.

⁵Why 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?
⁷Wealth? It can’t save a single person!
    It can’t pay a life’s ransom-price to God.
⁸The price to save someone’s life is too high—
    wealth will never be enough—
⁹        no one can live forever
        without experiencing the pit.

¹⁰Everyone knows that the wise die too,
    just like foolish and stupid people do,
        all of them leaving their fortunes to others.
¹¹Their graves^[a] are their eternal homes,
    the place they live for all generations,
        even if they had counties named after them!
¹²People won’t live any longer because of wealth;
    they’re just like the animals that pass away.