Psalm 49

Trusting Money Is Foolish

1 Listen to this, all you nations; listen, all you who live on earth.

2 Listen, both great and small, rich and poor together.

3 What I say is wise, and my heart speaks with understanding.

4 I will pay attention to a wise saying; I will explain my riddle on the harp.

5 Why should I be afraid of bad days? Why should I fear when evil people surround me?

6 They trust in their money and brag about their riches.

7 No one can buy back the life of another. No one can pay God for his own life,

8 because the price of a life is high. No payment is ever enough.

9 Do people live forever? Don’t they all face death?

10 See, even wise people die. Fools and stupid people also die and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their graves will always be their homes. They will live there from now on, even though they named places after themselves.

12 Even rich people do not live forever; like the animals, people die.

13 This is what will happen to those who trust in themselves and to their followers who believe them. Selah

14 Like sheep, they must die, and death will be their shepherd.
Honest people will rule over them in the morning, and their bodies will rot in a grave far from home.

15 But God will save my life and will take me from the grave. Selah

16 Don’t be afraid of rich people because their houses are more beautiful.

17 They don’t take anything to the grave; their wealth won’t go down with them.

18 Even though they were praised when they were alive— and people may praise you when you succeed—

19 they will go to where their ancestors are. They will never see light again.
20 Rich people with no understanding are just like animals that die.

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.