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Hear this, all you peoples!
    Give ear, all who inhabit the world,
You of lowly birth or high estate,
    rich and poor together.

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I

Why should I fear in evil days,
    with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding me,
Of those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of their abundant riches?(A)
[a]No man can ransom even a brother,
    or pay to God his own ransom.(B)
The redemption of his soul is costly;
    and he will pass away forever.
10 Will he live on forever, then,
    and never see the Pit of Corruption?
11 Indeed, he will see that the wise die,
    and the fool will perish together with the senseless,(C)
    and they leave their wealth to others.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 49:8 No man can ransom even a brother: an axiom. For the practice of redemption, cf. Jb 6:21–23. A play on the first Hebrew word of Ps 49:8, 16 relates the two verses.