Psalm 49

Misplaced Trust in Wealth

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart's meditation [brings] understanding.

4 I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.
7 Yet these cannot redeem a person
or pay his ransom to God-
8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying-

9 so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.

10 For one can see that wise men die;
foolish and stupid men also pass away.
Then they leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their eternal homes,
their homes from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.

12 But despite [his] assets, man will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.

13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words. Selah
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,
and their form will waste away in Sheol,
far from their lofty abode.

15 But God will redeem my life
from the power of Sheol,
for He will take me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when a man gets rich,
when the wealth of his house increases.
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth will not follow him down.
18 Though he praises himself during his lifetime-
and people praise you when you do well for yourself-
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers;
they will never see the light.

20 A man with valuable possessions
but without understanding
is like the animals 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.