Psalm 49
International Standard Version
To the Director: A song by the Sons of Korah.
The Destiny of the Wicked and the Upright
49 Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, all you who live in the world,
2 both average people and those of means,[a]
the rich and the poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisely,
and I will understand what I think about.
4 I will focus my attention on[b] a proverb;
I will use the harp to expound my riddle.
5 Why should I be afraid when evil days come my way,
when the wickedness of those who deceive me surrounds me—
6 those who put confidence in their wealth
and boast about their great riches?
7 No man can redeem the life of another,[c]
nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him—
8 for it would cost too much to redeem his life,
and the payments would go on forever—
9 that he should go on living
and not see corruption.
10 Indeed, he will see wise people die;
the stupid and the senseless will meet their doom
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thoughts are on[d] their homes forever;
their dwellings from generation to generation.
They even name their lands after themselves.
12 But humanity cannot last, despite its conceit;[e]
it will pass away just like the animals.[f]
13 This is the fate of those who are foolish
and of those who correct their words after they speak.
14 Like sheep, they are destined for the realm of the dead,[g]
with death as their shepherd.
The upright will have dominion over them in the morning;
their strength will be consumed in the afterlife,[h]
so that they have no home.
15 God will truly redeem me from the power[i] of Sheol.[j]
He will surely receive me!
16 Don’t be afraid when someone gets rich,
when the glory of his household increases.
17 When he dies, he will not be able to take it all with him[k]—
his possessions[l] will not follow him to the grave,[m]
18 although he considers himself blessed while he’s alive.
Though people praise you for doing well,
19 you will end up like your[n] ancestors’ generation,
never again to see the light of day!
20 Humanity, despite its conceit, does not understand
that it will perish, just like the animals.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:2 Lit. both sons of Adam and sons of men
- Psalm 49:4 Lit. will incline my ear to
- Psalm 49:7 Lit. of a brother
- Psalm 49:11 So MT DSS 4QPsc 4QPsj; LXX reads Their graves are
- Psalm 49:12 So MT; DSS 4QPsc Syr LXX read Humans, held in honor, had no understanding;
- Psalm 49:12 So MT; LXX reads they resembled senseless animals, and became like them; DSS 4QPsc read they are like animals that perish
- Psalm 49:14 Lit. for Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead
- Psalm 49:14 Lit. in Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead
- Psalm 49:15 Lit. hand
- Psalm 49:15 I.e. the realm of the dead
- Psalm 49:17 The Heb. lacks with him
- Psalm 49:17 Or glory
- Psalm 49:17 The Heb. lacks to the grave
- Psalm 49:19 Lit. his
Psalm 49
English Standard Version
Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah.
49 (B)Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 (C)both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak (D)wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (E)a proverb;
I will solve my (F)riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 (G)Why should I fear in (H)times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who (I)trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man (J)can ransom another,
or (K)give to God (L)the price of his life,
8 for (M)the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and (N)never see the pit.
10 For he sees (O)that even the wise die;
(P)the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and (Q)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their (R)graves are their homes forever,[a]
their dwelling places (S)to all generations,
though they (T)called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp (U)will not remain;
(V)he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the path of those who have (W)foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.[b] Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright (X)shall rule over them in the morning.
(Y)Their form shall be consumed (Z)in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will (AA)ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will (AB)receive me. Selah
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 (AC)For when he dies he will (AD)carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself (AE)blessed—
and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will (AF)go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again (AG)see light.
20 (AH)Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
- Psalm 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts
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