Psalm 49

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1  Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2  both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3  My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4  I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

5  Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6  those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7  Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
8  for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9  that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

10  For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11  Their graves are their homes forever,t
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
12  Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.

13  This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.t Selah
14  Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15  But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah

16  Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17  For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18  For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19  his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
20  Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49

For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites.

1 Listen to this, all you nations!
Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world!

2 Pay attention, all you people,
both rich and poor!

3 I will declare a wise saying;
I will share my profound thoughts.

4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom;
I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp.

5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble,
when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me?

6 They trust in their wealth
and boast in their great riches.

7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother;
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price

8 (the ransom price for a human life is too high,
and people go to their final destiny),

9 so that he might continue to live forever
and not experience death.

10 Surely one sees that even wise people die;
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away
and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,
their eternal dwelling place.
They name their lands after themselves,

12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last,
they are like animals that perish.

13 This is the destiny of fools,
and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah)

14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep,
with death as their shepherd.
The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns;
Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses.

15 But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol;
certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah)

16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich
and his wealth multiplies!

17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;
his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.

18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well!”

19 But he will join his ancestors;
they will never again see the light of day.

20 Wealthy people do not understand;
they are like animals that perish.