Psalms, 49

To the director. Of the sons of Koʹrah. A melody.

¹ Hear this, all YOU peoples. Give ear, all YOU inhabitants of the system of things,^*1

² YOU sons of humankind^*1 as well as YOU sons of man,^*2 You rich one and you poor one together.

³ My own mouth will speak things of wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be of things of understanding.

⁴ To a proverbial utterance I shall incline my ear; On a harp I shall open up my riddle.

⁵ Why should I be afraid in the days of evil, [When] the very error of my supplanters^*1 surrounds me?

⁶ Those who are trusting in their means of maintenance, And who keep boasting about the abundance of their riches,

⁷ Not one of them^*1 can by any means redeem even a brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him;^*2

⁸ (And the redemption price of their^*1 soul is so precious That it has ceased to time indefinite)

⁹ That he should still live forever [and] not see the pit.

¹⁰ For he sees that even the wise ones die, Together the stupid one and the unreasoning one perish, And they must leave to others their means of maintenance.

¹¹ Their inward wish^*1 is that their houses may be to time indefinite, Their tabernacles to generation after generation. They have called their landed estates by their names.

¹² And yet earthling man,^*1 though in honor, cannot keep lodging; He is indeed comparable with the beasts that have been destroyed.^*2

¹³ This is the way of those who have stupidity, And of those coming after them who take pleasure in their very mouthings.^*1 Seʹlah.

¹⁴ Like sheep they have been appointed^*1 to Sheʹol itself; Death itself will shepherd^*2 them; And the upright ones will have them in subjection in the morning, And their forms^*3 are due to wear away; Sheʹol rather than a lofty abode is for each one.^*4

¹⁵ However, God himself will redeem my soul from the hand of Sheʹol, For he will receive me. Seʹlah.

¹⁶ Do not be afraid because some man gains riches, Because the glory of his house increases,

¹⁷ For at his death he cannot take along anything at all; His glory will not go down along with him himself.

¹⁸ For during his lifetime he kept blessing his own soul; (And people will laud you because you do well for yourself)

¹⁹ [His soul]^*1 finally comes only as far as the generation of his forefathers. Nevermore will they see the light.

²⁰ Earthling man, although in honor, who does not understand,^*1 Is indeed comparable with the beasts that have been destroyed.