Psalm 49
Expanded Bible
Trusting Money Is Foolish
For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as Temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
49 Listen to this, all you ·nations [peoples];
·listen [L give ear], all you who live on earth.
2 Listen, both ·great [high] and ·small [low],
rich and poor together.
3 ·What I say is wise [L My mouth speaks wisdom],
and ·my heart speaks with [L the meditation of my heart is] understanding.
4 I will ·pay attention [extend my ear] to a ·wise saying [proverb];
I will ·explain [solve] my riddle on the ·harp [lyre].
5 Why should I ·be afraid of [fear] ·bad [evil] days?
·Why should I fear when evil people […when the guilt of deceivers/the treacherous] surround me?
6 They ·trust [find refuge] in their ·money [wealth]
and ·brag [boast] about their riches.
7 No one can ·buy back [ransom; redeem] the life of ·another [or a brother].
No one can ·pay [L give a ransom to] God for his own life,
8 because the ·price [ransom; redemption] of a life is ·high [precious].
No payment is ever enough.
9 Do people live forever?
Don’t they all ·face death [L see the Pit; 16:10]?
10 See, even wise people die.
Fools and stupid people also ·die [perish; Eccl. 2:12–16]
and ·leave [abandon; forsake] their wealth to others.
11 Their graves will ·always [forever] be their homes.
·They will live there from now on [L …their dwelling to all generations],
even though they named places after themselves.
12 Even rich people do not ·live forever [abide];
like the animals, people ·die [perish; Eccl. 3:19].
13 This is ·what will happen to [L the way/path for] those who trust in themselves
and ·to their followers [or the end of those; L after them] who ·believe them [L are pleased with their mouth]. ·
14 Like sheep, they ·must die [L head to Sheol; C the grave or the underworld],
and death will be their shepherd.
·Honest [Virtuous; Upright] people will ·rule [have dominion] over them in the morning,
and their bodies will ·rot in a grave [waste away in Sheol] far from ·home [their grand homes].
15 But God will ·save [ransom; redeem] my life
and will take me from ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol; v. 14]. ·
16 Don’t be afraid of ·rich [wealthy] people
because their houses are more ·beautiful [or substantial].
17 They don’t take anything ·to the grave [when they die];
their ·wealth [substance] won’t go down with them.
18 Even though they were ·praised [blessed] when they were alive—
and people may praise you when you ·succeed [do well]—
19 they will go to where their ancestors are [C the grave].
They will never see light again.
20 Rich people with no understanding
are just like animals that ·die [perish].
Psalm 49
New American Standard Bible
The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 (A)Hear this, all peoples;
Listen, all (B)inhabitants of the world,
2 Both (C)low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will (D)speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be (E)understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (F)a proverb;
(G)I will [a]express my (H)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (I)fear in days of adversity,
When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,
6 Those who (J)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No one can by any means (K)redeem another
Or give God a (L)ransom for him—
8 For (M)the redemption of [b]his soul is priceless,
And he should cease imagining forever—
9 That he might (N)live on eternally,
That he might not [c](O)undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even (P)wise people die;
The (Q)foolish and the stupid alike perish
And (R)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [d](S)inner thought is that their houses (T)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (U)named their lands after their own names.
12 But (V)man in his splendor will not endure;
He is like the animals that [e]perish.
13 This is the (W)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (X)approve their words. Selah
14 Like sheep they sink down (Y)to [f]Sheol;
Death will be their shepherd;
And the (Z)upright will rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [g]Sheol (AA)to consume
[h]So that they have no lofty home.
15 But God will (AB)redeem my soul from the [i]power of [j]Sheol,
For (AC)He will receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid (AD)when a person becomes rich,
When the splendor of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies, he will (AE)take nothing with him;
His [k]wealth will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he (AF)congratulates [l]himself—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 [m]He will (AG)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see (AH)the light.
20 (AI)Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,
Is (AJ)like the animals that [n]perish.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:4 Lit open up
- Psalm 49:8 Lit their
- Psalm 49:9 Or see corruption; lit see the pit
- Psalm 49:11 Some ancient versions graves are their houses
- Psalm 49:12 Lit are destroyed
- Psalm 49:14 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 49:14 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 49:14 Lit Away from his habitation
- Psalm 49:15 Lit hand
- Psalm 49:15 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 49:17 Lit glory
- Psalm 49:18 Lit his soul
- Psalm 49:19 Lit You; or It
- Psalm 49:20 Lit are destroyed
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.