Psalm 49
Audite haec, omnes.
O HEAR ye this, all ye people; ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world; High and low, rich and poor, one with another. My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall muse of understanding. I will incline mine ear to the parable, and show my dark speech upon the harp. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when wickedness at my heels compasseth me round about? There be some that put their trust in their goods, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. But no man may deliver his brother, nor give a ransom unto God for him, (For it cost more to redeem their souls, so that he must let that alone for ever;) That he shall live alway, and not see the grave. For he seeth that wise men also die and perish together, as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other. And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever, and that their dwelling-places shall endure from one generation to another; and call the lands after their own names. Nevertheless, man being in honour abideth not, seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish; This their way is very foolishness; yet their posterity praise their saying. They lie in the grave like sheep; death is their shepherd; and the righteous shall have dominion over them in the morning: their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre, and have no abiding. But God hath delivered my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall receive me. Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich, or if the glory of his house be increased; For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth, neither shall his pomp follow him. For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man; and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee. He shall follow the generation of his fathers, and shall never see light. Man that is in honour but hath no understanding is compared unto the beasts that perish.
[Coverdale]
To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
[AV]
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